Trump vows combat in Iran will continue until “all objectives” met after 3 U.S. deaths

President Donald Trump said Sunday that U.S. combat operations in Iran “will continue until all of our objectives are achieved,” and vowed the United States would “avenge” the deaths of three U.S. service members, as military officials confirmed fatalities and reported additional injuries. CENTCOM told reporters that several service members sustained “minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and are being returned to duty, and that the identities of the fallen will be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.

Trump’s remarks were posted as a pre-recorded video on his Truth Social account, and were carried in transcripts by PBS and CNBC. In the Truth Social video, Trump said, “Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.” CNBC also reported Trump saying, “America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against basically civilization.” PBS and the Associated Press published a transcript in which Trump framed the strikes as “major combat operations” intended to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime” and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

CENTCOM, quoted by CNN, described the situation as “fluid” and said, “Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.” The command added, “Out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.” CNN also cautioned that “it is not clear how the troops were killed.”

A senior White House official told CNN the campaign is being conducted under the name Operation Epic Fury, saying, “President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually he will talk. For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated.” CNBC reported that Trump told Joe Kernen the operation was “ahead of schedule.” Earlier, in an address summarized by CNN, Trump urged the Iranian people to “take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

Trump’s social media posts, reported by CNN, also asserted that U.S. forces had “sunk nine Iranian navy ships and ‘largely destroyed’ the country’s naval headquarters.” Those claims have been reported as the president’s assertions; outlets have not provided independent verification of those specific battlefield outcomes.

The hostilities have rippled beyond the battlefield. CNBC reported that “thousands of flights have been cancelled since the conflict in Iran began” and that insurers are raising prices for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a change CNBC linked to upward pressure on oil prices. Domestically, CNBC said Congress aims to vote on a war powers resolution in the coming week.

Regional dynamics are shifting. CBS reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying Israeli strikes on Iran “will increase even more in the coming days,” while CNN cited a military official saying Israel’s air force is “flying almost freely” over Tehran. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told the BBC the U.S. and Israeli actions amounted to ordering the “bombing of the negotiating table.”

The exchanges come amid long-standing tensions dating to Trump’s first term. The BBC noted that in 2018 President Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear accord, a move Tehran cites when criticizing U.S. policy. For now, key details remain unresolved: CENTCOM and U.S. officials have not released the names of the fallen, the precise circumstances of their deaths are unclear, and several battlefield claims remain unverified.