Hours after the announcement that three U.S. service members have been killed in Operation Epic Fury, President Donald Trump told NBC News, "We expect casualties with something like this. We have three, but we expect casualties, but in the end it's going to be a great deal for the world."
In addition to the three service members killed, five were wounded. U.S. Central Command said that "Major combat operations are ongoing" and that further information about the combat deaths, including the identities of the fallen warriors, would be withheld "until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified." Two sources told NBC News that those deaths occurred in Kuwait, but that is not confirmed.
CENTCOM also announced that on Saturday night U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran's hardened ballistic missile facilities, and President Trump reported that nine Iranian navy ships have been destroyed and sunk, and that Iran's naval headquarters were also destroyed.
Last night, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, armed with 2,000 lb. bombs, struck Iran’s hardened ballistic missile facilities. No nation should ever doubt America's resolve. pic.twitter.com/6JpG73lHYW
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2026
In the interview with NBC, Trump also said that Operation Epic Fury was running "ahead of schedule, and obviously, when we get 48 leaders, that's a big event." He'd told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich earlier that he "knows how many targets are left to hit."
.@JacquiHeinrich: "Moments ago, I spoke with President Trump, who tells me he knows how many targets are left to hit... the president told me 48 Iranian leaders were wiped out in one shot, adding that Operation Epic Fury is moving along 'rapidly.'" pic.twitter.com/I97hNf3Ebx
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 1, 2026
Meanwhile, the IDF announced that "all senior terrorist leaders of Iran's Axis of Terror have been eliminated."
It’s official: All senior terrorist leaders of Iran’s Axis of Terror have been eliminated pic.twitter.com/9T901u5ZsH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 1, 2026
In the interview with NBC News, when asked about the possible outcomes of this war:
“There are many outcomes that are good. Number one is decapitating them, getting rid of their whole group of killers and thugs. And there are many, many outcomes. We could do the short version or the longer version.”
U.S. officials are still talking to their Iranian counterparts, Trump said, the officials who were not killed in the air strikes. "They want to talk," but so far those talks haven't been very productive, Trump said. He ended the interview by telling NBC's Peter Nichols, "I have to go; I'm with the generals."
Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America's military.
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