Iran, US trade claims as Tehran inflates toll, Washington brands figures ‘lies’

Iranian military messaging is escalating, with Khatam al‑Anbiya Central HQ spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari claiming Iran struck U.S. naval and base infrastructure from Kuwait to Bahrain, hit multiple oil tankers in the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz, and inflicted 560 U.S. deaths and injuries so far. The U.S. response has been to publicly rebut key elements of these claims, with CENTCOM calling Iranian casualty narratives a lie and other U.S.-linked reporting putting confirmed losses far lower, underscoring the information-war running alongside the missile-and-drone conflict.