Iran’s IRGC Claims 560 US Casualties in Retaliatory Strikes, US Military Denies Claiming Only Three Deaths

Washington: As the US-Iran conflict enters its third day under “Operation Epic Fury,” both nations are issuing sharply contrasting accounts of American military losses. 

This contrasting account is now being reported as an intense information warfare that often accompanies rapid military escalations.

Iran’s Claim

As the war continues, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from Iran made a claim that on March 1 its missile and drone strikes on US bases and assets across the Middle East resulted in at least 560 American casualties. However, it did not mention if this was the number of deaths or was it a combined figure of killed and wounded soldiers.

The IRGC claimed that it had hits on Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and added that it was rendered “completely out of service”.

The IRGC also claimed to have hit the US Naval facilities in Bahrain, Oil tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, as well as other targets that include a US naval support vessel in the Indian Ocean.

A statement by the IRGC was carried by Iranian state media and relayed by outlets such as Shafaq News and Xinhua, framed the attacks as part of “Operation True Promise 4” in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.

US Response and Official Figures

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Pentagon, however, have firmly rejected the Iranian claim. CENTCOM claimed that three US service members were killed in action and five others were seriously wounded during the ongoing operations.

The department also stated that some other personnel received minor injuries, which it claimed were shrapnel and concussions, adding that they were all returning to duty.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the losses in public statements, expressing condolences and stating, “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” while vowing to “avenge” the fallen troops.

It may be mentioned that the US officials have explicitly dismissed Iran’s 560-casualty figure as an unsubstantiated exaggeration.

It may be mentioned that in modern conflicts, wildly divergent casualty claims are common, as each side seeks to shape narratives, boost morale, and influence international opinion. Independent verification is extremely difficult in the early hours and days of fighting due to restricted access, fog of war, and blackout conditions.

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