Iranian MP: Thousands of Americans would fall in first hours of attack

A senior Iranian parliamentarian has issued a stark warning to the United States and Israel, claiming that thousands of American personnel could be killed in the opening hours of a conflict.

Mojtaba Zarei, Tehran representative and member of the Majlis’ National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, issued the warning on X, a Turkish outlet reports.

He said: "The likelihood of 10,000 Americans dying in the first hours of combat, using 3-ton warheads from the Lincoln and Ford aircraft carriers in the event of an attack on Iran, is very high."

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. U.S. President Donald Trump recently confirmed the deployment of aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford to the area.

He described the move as a “direct signal to Tehran” and a demonstration of America’s readiness to respond immediately to any threats against its interests or allies.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier, carries up to 5,000 personnel, including its air wing, which can comprise up to 90 aircraft and helicopters.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the newest generation of U.S. carriers, also has an air group of up to 90 aircraft. Both vessels represent the largest and most advanced combat units of the U.S. Navy.

President Donald Trump has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to sail from the Caribbean to the Middle East to increase pressure on Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The carrier will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships already in the region, significantly boosting US naval firepower as indirect talks with Tehran continue without a firm deal. Trump has warned of serious consequences if negotiations fail and said earlier that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev