Trump says the Iran war could last four weeks or less as US–Israeli forces continued their strikes in Iran while Tehran hits Gulf states, Israel and US targets.
US President Donald Trump has warned that the Iran war may last "four weeks or less" as US and Israeli planes continue their strikes against targets in Iran following Tehran's far-reaching retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations across the Middle East.
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"It's always been a four-week process. As strong as it is, it's a big country; it'll take four weeks—or less," Trump told the press late on Sunday.
"I think it's going as per plan, other than we took out their entire leadership — far, far more than what we thought," he said, stating that a total of 48 top Iranian leaders had been eliminated.
On Monday, the conflict entered day three with US and Israeli planes continuing their strikes on targets in Iran after a joint operation on Saturday killed Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and scores of senior commanders of the Iranian regime.
Meanwhile, Iran has continued with ongoing retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations hosting US bases in the region.
Trump said the military intervention was essential to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons or creating missiles that could reach the US.
Saturday strikes, which came amid indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran, come less than a year after Trump claimed that US airstrikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capacity.
US reports first casualties
Meanwhile, three US service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the US attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that Trump said could likely lead to more losses in the coming weeks.
The three who were killed were US Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a unit that oversees supplies and logistics, according to reports across US media.
The US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when and where they occurred as the Islamic Republic retaliates over the joint strikes by the US and Israel.
"Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty, US Central Command said.
Reacting to the news, Trump said there will likely be more US deaths as Iran strikes continue until ‘all’ goals are achieved.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is.”
In a pre-recorded Truth Social post Sunday afternoon, he vowed to avenge the deaths of the US servicemen.
He urged Iranians to “take over” their government, saying, “Combat operations continue at this time in full-force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved."
“We have very strong objectives,” he added, without elaborating.
On Monday, fighting between all parties intensified as Iran and Iranian-backed militias, including the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, continued to fire missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently striking the US Embassy compound in Kuwait.
Iranian state media reported over 200 people had been killed since Saturday's attacks, while emergency services in Israel reported at least nine people were killed and 27 were injured in an Iranian missile strike on the city of Beit Shemesh.
In the UAE, authorities reported three people had died from Iranian missile and drone attacks, and some 58 others were injured.
As casualties on all sides mount in the conflict, Gulf Arab states have warned that they could retaliate against Iran after strikes that hit key sites.