United States President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that 48 Iranian leaders were eliminated in the ongoing joint US-Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic, describing the operation as highly successful and progressing faster than expected.
“Nobody can believe the success we are having. 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it is moving along rapidly,” the US President said while speaking to Fox News.
In a separate interaction with CNBC, Trump said that America’s military offensive in Iran was “ahead of schedule” and “moving along very well”.
The President also claimed that Iran’s new leadership has reached out seeking talks with Washington, adding that he has agreed to engage in dialogue. “New Iranian leaders want to talk and I have agreed to talk,” news agency Reuters quoted Trump as saying in an interview with The Atlantic.
“They (Iranian regime) should have done it sooner. They could have made a deal, but played too cute. The people over there are shouting in the streets with happiness, but at the same time, there are a lot of bombs coming down,” he added.
The remarks came amid escalating tensions after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking one of the most consequential moments for the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. Iran has since launched retaliatory attacks across the Middle East targeting countries where American forces and bases are stationed.
Earlier, Trump had said the strikes against Iran were aimed at confronting what he called “one of the most violent regimes in history”, adding that the United States was acting “not just for us but for the world”.
He has been overseeing the assault from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
In a separate development, US Central Command said that three American service members have been killed in the latest operations against Iran, while five others were seriously injured.
“As of 9.30 am ET, March 1, three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” the command said in a post on X.
