Trump Discusses Potential US Casualties Following Iran Attack, Claims Noble Mission
US President Donald Trump stated there would be American casualties following large-scale military strikes launched against Iran. Trump accused the Iranian regime of conducting attacks intended to kill.
According to Reuters on Saturday (28 February 2026), Trump said the strikes were aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and eliminating its naval forces. This came after repeated warnings from the US and Israel that they would attack Iran again if Tehran continued its nuclear and ballistic missile programme.
“My administration has taken every possible step to minimise risk to US personnel in the region. Nevertheless, and I make this statement not lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said in a video shared on Truth Social.
Trump appeared unconcerned about the impact on American citizens from the strikes. He claimed the series of attacks were conducted for the future.
“The lives of our brave American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties, something that often happens in war, but we are doing this not for now. We are doing this for the future, and this is a noble mission,” he said.
The US and Israel had launched combined strikes against Iranian territory on Saturday morning Iranian time. The strikes were claimed to eliminate the threat posed by the Iranian regime.
Separate video statements were released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, which also suggested support for efforts to change the government in Tehran.
Iran characterised the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. The military promised retaliation and launched counter-strikes. Iran subsequently conducted retaliatory attacks targeting several US military bases across the Middle East.
A series of explosions rocked numerous Gulf Arab countries hosting American military bases on Saturday (28 February) local time. From Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, to Kuwait, all reported explosions following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.