President Donald Trump has addressed the deaths of three American soldiers in his war with Iran, admitting that “there will likely be more.”
The president, who ran on an “America First” platform, gave his first recorded update on the unfolding conflict in the Middle East on Sunday afternoon.
He acknowledged the deaths of three U.S. troops during the military operation, saying, “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.”
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is,” Trump, 79, added in the video posted to X. “Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
The three soldiers died after Trump ordered strikes against Iran on Saturday and Iran launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East. The circumstances of their deaths remain undisclosed. They mark the first U.S. casualties of Trump’s second term.
The U.S. military has also confirmed that five more service members have been seriously wounded.
The troops were part of an Army sustainment unit deployed to Kuwait, NBC News has reported.
Trump 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 pledged to avenge their deaths.
The self-proclaimed “peace president” then appeared to try to justify his unauthorized war with Iran, claiming, “We are undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for our own time and place, but for our children and their children.”
“The only reason we enjoy the quality of life that we do and the freedom and security is we have some things that others are unable to do. It’s because of warriors who are willing to lay down their lives to do battle with our enemies,” Trump continued. “An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American.”
He framed the Iranian regime as “terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.”
Trump argued that his attacks against Iran “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.”
He closed his address by urging Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and military police to “lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death,” and calling on the Iranian people to “be heroic and take back your country.”
Claiming that he delivered on his January promise to Iranian protesters that “help is on the way,” Trump said, “America is with you. The rest will be up to you, but we’ll be there to help.”
The president had once promised voters that he would “stop racing to topple foreign regimes.”
