Adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei claims hundreds of US soldiers killed, wounded in Iranian strikes

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's military advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, asserted that Iran inflicted hundreds of casualties on U.S. soldiers through strikes conducted in July. Rezaei claimed in a Monday interview with Press TV that Iranian sources estimate nearly 500 U.S. soldiers were killed, with hundreds more wounded.

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Iran killed hundreds of US soldiers in strikes throughout July and wounded hundreds more.

These assertions starkly contrast with figures from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM data indicates that four U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan and Iraq in July 2026, with an additional 14 killed earlier in the year. The command also reported 417 soldiers wounded during the conflict with Iran and 207 wounded in "Overseas Operations."

Rezaei's statements come amid ongoing U.S. airstrikes aimed at curbing Iran's threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and compelling Tehran to resume negotiations. These U.S. actions have been met with increasing Iranian responses targeting U.S. forces and Washington's Gulf-Arab allies.

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Specifically, Press TV claimed that the US admitted to a total of 650 casualties, including both those killed and wounded, in the recent strikes, with Iranian sources estimating nearly 500 US soldiers killed.

Furthermore, Rezaei alleged that Israel remained out of the recent conflict due to resource constraints in other regions, framing U.S. involvement as a facade orchestrated by the "Zionist regime." He warned that the U.S.'s "desperate maneuvers" risk initiating a third world war, echoing concerns previously voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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Israel stayed out of the most recent US-Iran conflict because resources were already stretched too thin in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, Rezaei claimed on Monday, adding that it was a facade to make the US seem like a strong, independent entity while the "Zionist regime" pressures the US into the conflict.

Conflicting accounts also surround the status of ceasefire negotiations. While Trump suggested renewed talks were initiated by Iran and its regional allies due to fear of U.S. strikes, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that no negotiations were underway or scheduled. Rezaei himself maintained that Iran prefers diplomacy over continued war, labeling the United States a "warmonger."

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The US's "desperate maneuvers" risk starting a third world war which would be far more destructive than World War II.