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

Iran's military adviser Mohsen Rezaei claimed in a Press TV interview that hundreds of US soldiers were killed and wounded in July strikes, with Iranian sources estimating nearly 500 killed. US Central Command reports four US soldiers killed in Jordan and Iraq in July, and 14 earlier in Operation Epic Fury. Rezaei also said Israel stayed out due to stretched resources and warned of a third world war. The article notes conflicting accounts of ceasefire talks between Trump and Iranian officials.

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, claimed in a Monday interview with regime-owned Press TV that Iran killed hundreds of US soldiers in strikes throughout July and wounded hundreds more. Press TV specifically claimed the US admitted to 650 total casualties, with Iranian sources estimating nearly 500 killed. However, the article contrasts these figures with US Central Command data: four US soldiers killed in Jordan and Iraq in July 2026, and 14 earlier in Operation Epic Fury. In late July, 417 soldiers were listed as wounded in the war with Iran, plus 207 in Overseas Operations. Rezaei's statement comes amid months of US airstrikes aimed at reducing Iran's threat to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and compelling Tehran to negotiate. Rezaei also claimed Israel stayed out of the conflict due to stretched resources in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, and that the US is under 'Zionist influence.' He warned that US 'desperate maneuvers' risk a third world war. The article also notes conflicting accounts of ceasefire negotiations: Trump claimed Iran initiated talks, while Iranian spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied any negotiations.