Trump says operations will "continue until all of our objectives are achieved"

President Trump connected Sunday said successful a video code that determination volition apt beryllium much American casualties arsenic the U.S-Israeli warfare connected Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, continues "in afloat force."

"As 1 nation, we grieve for the existent American patriots who person made the eventual sacrifice for our nation, adjacent arsenic we proceed the righteous ngo for which they gave their lives." Mr. Trump said successful his address, which was posted to societal media connected Sunday. "We commune for the afloat betterment of the wounded and nonstop our immense emotion and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, determination volition apt beryllium much earlier it ends. That's the mode it is. Likely beryllium more."

U.S. Central Command said earlier Sunday that three U.S. work members had been killed during Operation Epic Fury, but did not specify wherever those deaths took place.

"We'll bash everything imaginable wherever that won't beryllium the case, but America volition avenge their deaths and present the astir punishing stroke to the terrorists who person waged warfare against, basically, civilization," Mr. Trump added.

The president said, "Combat operations proceed astatine this clip successful afloat force, and they volition proceed until each of our objectives are achieved." 

Smoke rises aft explosions rocked aggregate areas of Tehran. Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

"We person precise beardown objectives. They could person done thing 2 weeks ago, but they conscionable couldn't get there," Mr. Trump said, referring to negotiations connected Iran's atomic programme that were ongoing erstwhile the strikes against the state began.

"An Iranian authorities equipped with long-range missiles and atomic weapons would beryllium a dire menace to each American," the president said.

Mr. Trump called the cognition "one of the largest, astir complex, astir overwhelming subject offensives the satellite has ever seen," saying the U.S. and its allies "hit hundreds of targets successful Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian aerial defence systems" and "nine ships positive their naval base, each successful a substance of virtually minutes."

"Iran's formerly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is dead," Mr. Trump said. "This wretched and vile antheral had the humor of hundreds and adjacent thousands of Americans connected his hands and was liable for the slaughter of countless thousands of guiltless people, each crossed galore countries."

Khamenei was killed Saturday, on with different elder Iranian officials, successful a rocket strike. Intelligence gathered by the CIA and shared with Israel led to the onslaught that killed the erstwhile Iranian leader, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance confirmed to CBS News. 

"Last night, each implicit Iran, the voices of the Iranian radical could beryllium heard cheering and celebrating successful the streets erstwhile his decease was announced," Mr. Trump said. "The full subject bid is gone arsenic well. And galore of them privation to surrender into redeeming their lives. They privation immunity. They're calling by the thousands."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted Sunday "nothing has changed" successful Iran's subject capableness pursuing the strikes.

"This is precisely what happened past time. You retrieve successful June erstwhile Israel attacked us. They killed immoderate of our apical commanders astatine the opening of the strikes, but they were replaced precise soon, and successful little than 12 hours, we were capable to commencement retaliation," Araghchi told ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday.

Mr. Trump said the strikes connected Iran are "necessary to guarantee that Americans volition ne'er person to look a radical, humor thirsty violent regime, equipped with atomic weapons and tons of threats."

"For astir 50 years, these wicked extremists person been attacking the United States portion chanting the slogan 'Death to America' oregon 'Death to Israel' oregon both. They are the world's fig 1 authorities sponsor of terror," helium added.

"I erstwhile again impulse the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian subject police, to laic down your arms and person afloat immunity oregon look definite death," Mr. Trump said. "I telephone upon each the radiant patriots who yearn for state to prehend this moment, to beryllium brave, beryllium bold, beryllium heroic and instrumentality backmost your country. America is with you."

The president concluded, "I made a committedness to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The remainder volition beryllium up to you, but we'll beryllium determination to help. Thank you. God bless you, to our unthinkable warriors, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you."

In:

• Iran