Donald Trump issued a video statement on Sunday (March 1) after US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, an escalation that also reportedly resulted in the deaths of three Americans.
The president approved an operation dubbed ‘Operation Epic Fury’, describing it as an effort aimed at Iran’s nuclear program and the destruction of the country’s ballistic missile capabilities.
A White House press release said the attacks followed ‘exhaustive diplomatic efforts and comes after 47 years of Iranian aggression — including attacks on US citizens, sponsorship of global terrorism, and brutal oppression of its own people’.
The weekend strikes were also said to have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Trump making the announcement on Saturday (February 28).
He wrote on Truth Social: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead.”
In the aftermath, the United Nations convened an emergency session, during which Iranian ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the US to ‘be polite’.
Alongside the reported death of Khamenei and other losses, three American service men were killed, and Trump has since suggested the toll may rise.
In the video message, he said the US would ‘avenge’ the service members’ deaths and warned that ‘there will likely be more’ before the situation is over.
Trump shared the six-minute clip on social media yesterday afternoon.
He described the fallen troops as ‘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’.
The president added: “Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more.”
He also said five others were seriously injured, and asked people to keep them in their prayers so they can make a ‘full recovery’.
President Donald J. Trump provides an update on Operation Epic Fury: pic.twitter.com/Vte8QKpISn
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 1, 2026
Iranian officials have claimed that more than 200 people have been killed since the strikes began, including Khamenei and other senior figures.
With Khamenei now reported dead, it remains uncertain who will take his place, though Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a pre-recorded address that a new leadership council has already started operating.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts is responsbile for selecting a new supreme leader, CNN explains.
The same body previously appointed Khamenei more than 30 years ago, following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.