US strikes Iran in full force, predicting more US casualties: Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday afternoon that U.S. combat operations "continue at this time in full force," predicting there would be more U.S. casualties in the coming days, reported Xinhua.

"Combat operations continue at this time, in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives," Trump said in a six-minute video message on Truth Social, without specifying what the objectives are.

"Sadly there will likely be more before it ends," he said of the possibility of more U.S. casualties, saying that "that's the way it is."

Trump repeated his call on members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to "lay down their arms" for "full immunity."

Iranian FM says Iran has right to defend itself, vowing to continue fighting

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told ABC News on Sunday that no country's leader has the right to tell Iran not to respond to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli massive airstrikes on Iran, saying his country has every right to defend itself and will continue fighting, reported Xinhua.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post early Sunday morning that Iran should not retaliate.

"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

In response, Araghchi told ABC News: "I don't think any leader of a country has the right to say so. No."

"We are defending ourselves, and we have every right, every legitimate right, to defend ourselves," said Araghchi. "What we are doing is the act of self-defense. There are huge differences between these two," he said.

"We are defending ourselves; whatever it takes; and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people," he added.

When asked if a negotiated settlement with the United States was still possible, Araghchi suggested that he was doubtful, saying that the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in recent years had become "a very bitter experience" for Iran.

Araghchi said Iran was attacked both on Saturday and last June amid diplomatic talks with the United States that Iran believed were making progress, adding that Israel and some of Trump's advisers "dragged" Trump into a war even though a peace deal appeared possible after talks in Geneva on Thursday.

Asked how much damage the attacks have done on the Iranian military infrastructure, Araghchi said: "Well, we have lost some commanders, that is a fact, and the names are already announced. But another fact is that nothing has changed in our military capability."

The Iranian official said Iran was able to start retaliating even faster than it could during its 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States in June 2025.

"So our military is in place. They are capable enough to defend our country," Araghchi said. "Even more, they are more prepared and capable than (the) previous war .... they are in a better position. And you have seen how they acted so far."

The massive U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, which has killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, entered the second day on Sunday.

Trump said 48 senior Iranian officials were killed in the operation and the U.S. forces have sunk nine Iranian warships and largely destroyed Iran's navy headquarters.

The U.S. Central Command said on social media on Sunday that three U.S. service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the U.S. military operation against Iran.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump told Fox News that 48 senior Iranian officials have been killed in the strikes on Iran.

The military strike against Iran will "take four weeks -- or less," Trump said in an exclusive phone interview with Britain's Daily Mail, the newspaper reported Sunday.

The Daily Mail said Trump "broke his silence" on the first U.S. casualties in the conflict. Three U.S. soldiers were killed in action and five others seriously injured as part of the military operation against Iran, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.

Trump acknowledged the deaths were the first casualties of his second term, the report said. On the potential duration of the war, Trump suggested the fighting could continue for 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.

Trump told the Daily Mail he was not surprised by the outcomes of the strikes so far. The U.S. president also said he had spoken Sunday with the leaders of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and a "couple of others." The United States and Israel on Saturday launched "major combat operations" against Iran.

Iran confirmed on Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes the previous day.