President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to continue military operations against Iran following the deaths of three American soldiers.
In a video post on his Truth Social platform, the president sympathized with the families of the service members who died and five others who were seriously injured, but said that military operations in Iran must continue in order eliminate what he described as a "bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons."
"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," he 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, that's the way it is. [There will] likely be more but we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case. But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against basically civilization."
President Donald J. Trump provides an update on Operation Epic Fury: pic.twitter.com/Vte8QKpISn
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 1, 2026
"I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death — it will be certain death, it won't be pretty," President Trump added. "I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment. To be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country. America is with you."
President Trump had warned that American lives could be lost when he launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday. It was not immediately clear where the service members that were killed or hurt were stationed, as their identities have not been released pending notification of next of kin. They are the first U.S. casualties since the military launched its operation against Iran that killed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
RELATED STORY | How they got him: Khamenei confirmed dead after CIA tracked Iran's Supreme Leader for months
In addition to the American service members who were killed, at least eight people were killed in Israel after an Iranian rocket struck a village in the central part of the country. Iranian drones have also targeted Gulf Arab states, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
BREAKING: At least eight people have been killed in an Iranian rocket attack Beit Shemesh, a village in central Israel. @scrippsnews pic.twitter.com/6BWGK8q7ZD
— jasonbellini (@jasonbellini) March 1, 2026
A top Iranian official said the U.S. and Israel "crossed a red line and must pay the price" for killing Supreme Leader Khamenei.
“We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg," Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
Trump had previously warned Iran against retaliation, saying it would be met with a “force that has never been seen before.” He said Sunday that nine Iranian ships have been destroyed as part of this operation.
"I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important," he said in a statement. "We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!"
RELATED STORY | Trump’s Iran attack raises legal concerns among Democrats in Congress
Trump also said heavy bombing would “continue uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world.” The major combat operation, Trump said, is intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
With Khamenei dead, a 66-year-old cleric has been chosen to join a three-member council that will govern the country until a new Supreme Leader is appointed. President Trump indicated Sunday that he has agreed to talk with Iran's new potential leadership, but did not give specifics on timing. For now the military operation in the Middle East will continue.
