PANews reported on March 8th, citing Xinhua News Agency, that Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani stated on the 7th that several US soldiers had been captured. Larijani posted on social media that day: "According to reports I have received, several American soldiers have been captured. But the Americans claim they were killed in action. Despite their efforts to cover it up, the truth will not be hidden for long." In response, US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins told US media on the 7th that the capture of US soldiers was a "lie" from the Iranian side.