Iran says its attack killed more than 500 US soldiers, Pentagon says only six were killed

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani said in a post on X on Wednesday that the air strikes Iran launched at several US military facilities in the Middle East had killed more than 500 American soldiers, and that Tehran is prepared for a long war with the United States. He wrote that Trump, influenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s folly, has dragged the American people into an unfair war with Iran. ‘Now he must reckon — with more than 500 American soldiers killed in just a few days, is America still a priority — or Israel,’ he wrote. He added that Iran’s opposition to the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will continue: ‘This story goes on. The martyrdom of Imam Khamenei will exact a heavy price from you, God willing.’ So far, the Pentagon has announced only six US service members killed since Iran began its air strikes on Saturday (28 February 2026), four of whom were killed in Kuwait. The US and Israel conducted joint air strikes on a number of areas in Iran, including the capital Tehran, last weekend. Besides several senior Iranian defence officials, the strikes also killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the Iranian government, nearly 1,050 of its citizens have been killed in the four-day battle that began last Saturday. Casualties include 165 female students in Minab whose school was struck by the US-Israel air strikes. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said his country is ready to take part in a long-term war. He made the statement directly to the United States. ‘Iran, unlike America, has prepared itself for a long-term war,’ Larijani wrote on his private X account on Monday (2 March 2026). He emphasised that his country did not start the war now underway. Therefore Iran is ready to defend itself fiercely at whatever consequences. ‘(Iran) will make its enemies regret their miscalculation,’ Larijani said.