U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that “there will likely be more” American casualties in the military operations against Iran, which he said were delivering major achievements to ensure the safety of Americans and others.
The American president said this in a videoed speech that he shared on the Truth Social network. Trump began his remarks with a brief overview of the latest developments in “Operation Epic Fury,” which the U.S. launched jointly with Israel on Saturday to neutralize elements of the Iranian threat to U.S. forces and allies.
“We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems. Just now, it was announced that we knocked out nine ships, plus their naval building, all in a matter of literally minutes,” Trump said.
Iran’s “formerly supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead,” Trump said. “This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries,” he added.
He noted how Iranians could be heard cheering in videos they made after news of Khamenei’s death became known.
Trump also acknowledged the death of three U.S. servicemen, announced earlier Sunday, in “Operation Epic Fury.”
“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, we pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said.
He also said that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends, that’s the way it is. There’ll likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible so that won’t be the case.” America, he added, “will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war” against “civilization itself.”
“Our resolve, and likewise that of Israel, has never been stronger,” Trump said.
The decision to attack was guided by a responsibility to future generations, he said. An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons “would be a dire threat to every American. We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons. … We’re not going to let it happen.
“We’re undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for our own time and place, but for our children and their children, just as our ancestors have done for us many, years ago. This is the duty and the burden of a free people. These actions are right, and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats,” the president said.
“For almost 50 years, these wicked extremists have been attacking the United States while chanting the slogan, Death to America, or Death to Israel, or both,” he continued.
Iran’s regime is “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. We are the world’s greatest and most powerful nation, so we can do something about what they do,” Trump said.
Trump repeated his call, which he issued upon the launch of “Operation Epic Fury”, for Iranian officials and soldiers to lay down their arms for “full immunity” or “face certain death.” He also called “upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment,” adding, “I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we’ll be there to help.”
