Araghchi: Iran Will Reveal True U.S. Military Casualties
TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran will reveal the true extent of U.S. military casualties “at the appropriate time,” rejecting claims by U.S. officials that Iran is defenseless and saying the damage inflicted on American military facilities is only “a handful” of the full toll.
Araghchi was responding to baseless U.S. claims about Iran’s defensive capabilities and referred to a
Pentagon report acknowledging damage to hundreds of U.S. military bases and facilities in the region.
“Claim: Iran is defenseless. Reality: Hundreds of U.S. bases and military facilities have been battered and dozens of American aircraft have been set ablaze,” Araghchi wrote, citing the Pentagon as the source.
“This is only a handful of the full picture,” he added.
Araghchi said Iran will disclose the actual number of U.S. military casualties when the time was appropriate.
“We will reveal the true extent of the casualties among U.S. forces at the appropriate time. Disgrace will remain for those who falsely claim that Iran is defenseless,” he wrote.
His comments followed the Pentagon’s first formal acknowledgment that an F-35 stealth fighter had been damaged after coming under “enemy fire” during a mission over Iran.
A separate report by the Pentagon inspector general on the war against Iran also acknowledged extensive damage caused by Iranian attacks, saying hundreds of U.S. buildings and structures in the region had been damaged or destroyed.
The report examined the period from Feb. 28, when the war began, through June 30, and also confirmed a sharp reduction in U.S. stocks of some key munitions.
Araghchi said the information acknowledged publicly by the Pentagon represents only part of the damage caused during the conflict and indicated that further details on U.S. military casualties would be released by Iran at a later stage.