The U.S. Central Command denied on Saturday that any U.S. service members had been taken hostage or captured by Iran.

In a post on X, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani said: "It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner."

U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, said: "The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to peddle lies and deceive. This is yet another clear example."