Iranian official claims nearly 500 US soldiers killed in Middle East strikes

Iran killed hundreds of US soldiers in strikes throughout July and wounded hundreds more, claimed Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's military advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in an interview on Monday with regime-owned Press TV.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. According to the latest information from US Central Command (CENTCOM), four US soldiers were killed in Jordan and Iraq in July 2026, and a further 14 were killed earlier in the year during Operation Epic Fury. In late July, 417 soldiers were listed as having been wounded during the war with Iran, with an additional 207 soldiers listed as having been wounded in "Overseas Operations."Rezaei's statement comes amid months of US airstrikes intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and compel Tehran to return to negotiations, with the most recent round having begun in July. Repeated US escalations have been met by increasing Iranian responses against US forces in the region, as well as against Washington's Gulf-Arab allies and shipping.Rezaei claims Israel pulling strings, US under Zionist influenceIsrael 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. The US's "desperate maneuvers" risk starting a third world war which would be far more destructive than World War II, Rezaei told Press TV, echoing a statement Trump made just hours earlier in the Oval Office. Trump, Iranian officials give conflicting accounts of ceasefire negotiation statusTrump alleged that Iran, with the backing of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, initiated renewed talks because they “did not want to be hit” by strikes Trump claimed would have been the biggest attacks since World War II.This came after he announced renewed negotiations between the two nations while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said no negotiations with the United States were taking place, and no meetings were scheduled.Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days, he said."We act responsibly in the Strait of Hormuz"Senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution says Iran acts responsibly in the Strait of Hormuz and values global maritime security, emphasizing that US actions create instability that delays reopening the waterway. pic.twitter.com/49SqzsL1RD— Press TV (@PressTV) August 3, 2026Rezaei also maintained that Iran prefers diplomacy over continued war, and that the United States is a "warmonger.""It was America that attacked our country and our people, martyred our Leader and our children. Did we attack them and massacre their nation?” he asked.Tzvi Jasper, Shir Perets, and Reuters contributed to this report.