After the first American service members were killed in the Iran war, President Donald Trump finally broke his silence. He spoke to the Daily Mail from his Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday. Three U.S. troops died in the fighting. Their names have not been released.
“They’re great people,” Trump said. “And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous- it could happen again.” His words were calm, but the weight of the losses was clear.
These are the first deaths in Trump’s second term. Previous operations went without casualties, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January and the June bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We’ve done pretty well,” he said. “But they’re great people, with outstanding records, outstanding.”
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Trump suggested the conflict could last four weeks. “It’s always been a four week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four week process so, as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks – or less,” he said.
He followed up by emphasizing the strikes had gone according to plan. “No, I think it’s going as per planned. You know, other than we took out their entire leadership – far, far more than what we thought. Looks like 48,” Trump explained. The scale of the operation was far bigger than many expected.
Talks with Iran remain uncertain. “I don’t know,” Trump said. “They want to, they want to talk, but I said you should have talked last week, not this week.” Diplomacy is possible, but timing is critical.
Trump has been in constant contact with allies. He said he spoke with the leaders of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and “a couple of others.” On Saudi Arabia possibly striking Iran after being initially targeted, he said, “They’re fighting, they’re fighting too.”
The President plans to meet the families of the fallen troops. “And I’ll be meeting with their families at the appropriate time,” he said. Trump also mentioned possibly visiting Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of the remains or inviting families to the White House.
Trump spoke directly about what comes next. The war is real, the losses are real, but he insisted the United States is still in control.
He also looked ahead to Iran’s future. “I do. It’ll be very interesting to watch, but a lot of things could happen and a lot of very positive things could happen,” he said.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
