President Donald Trump said on Sunday that “there will likely be more” U.S. service member casualties as fighting with Iran continues, after officials confirmed the first American casualties of the conflict earlier that morning.
Following coordinated strikes on Iran early on Saturday, three U.S. service members were killed, with another five seriously wounded, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced. Additionally, several sustained minor injuries and are expected to return to duty soon.
The three fallen soldiers are the first known American casualties following the U.S. strikes against Iran that began early on Saturday morning Eastern time.
In the video address, Trump mourned the loss of the American soldiers.
“As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” Trump said. “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen, and sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.”
Trump also addressed the status of the conflict in the Middle East, noting that “combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.”
The U.S. and Israel joined forces to launch a barrage of missiles against Iran, in what the U.S. is calling Operation Epic Fury, killing 48 of the country’s leaders, according to Trump in an interview with Fox News on Sunday morning. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is confirmed by U.S. and Israeli forces to have been killed in the attacks.
Elsewhere, an “Iranian Jamaran-class corvette was struck by U.S. forces during the start of Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. CENTCOM said in a statement on X. “The ship is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier.”
An interim committee will run Iran following Khamenei’s death, Ali Larijani, an Iranian national security official, announced. He said the country plans to attack American and Israeli targets “with a force they have never experienced before.” Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader will be chosen within one or two days.
Iran has conducted retaliatory attacks across the region. Iranian forces fired multiple waves of missiles at Israel, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, targeting U.S. military assets, civilian buildings, and infrastructure. In Beit Shemesh, in Israel, nine Israelis were killed and 30 were wounded, making this the worst casualty event in the country since the conflict began.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has “given instructions for the continuation of the campaign” against Iran. “Our forces are now striking the heart of Tehran with increasing strength, and this will only increase even more in the coming days.”
The former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, said in a post on X that the death of Khamenei is “not the end,” calling on Iranians to “overthrow” the Islamic Republic, noting “widespread and decisive presence in the streets.” Pahlavi was exiled from Iran and recently emerged as a prominent opposition figure during anti-government protests in the state.
“The Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties, that often happens in war, but we’re doing this, not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,” Trump said in a statement.