Trump says ‘likely more’ deaths of US troops to come before Iran conflict ends

Donald Trump recorded a new video address on Sunday, vowing to avenge three American deaths after the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and accusing the Iranian regime of “waging war against civilization itself”.

The US president addressed the deaths, saying “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” and called for prayers for “the full recovery” of five others that were seriously wounded.

But he warned: “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees military operations in the Middle East from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, announced earlier on Sunday that as of 9.30am ET three US service members and been killed and five seriously wounded in what the Pentagon calls Operation Epic Fury. The US military did not say when and where the casualties occurred, but they mark the first US losses since Trump ordered the attack on Iran early on Saturday.