Trump Claims U.S. Eliminated 48 Iranian Leaders and Nine Naval Ships: A Bold Assertion with Global Implications

On Sunday, former President Donald Trump claimed that a single strike eliminated 48 high-ranking Iranian officials, following his Saturday announcement of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also asserted that U.S. forces had “destroyed and sunk” nine vessels belonging to the Iranian Navy.

“We are targeting the rest—they will soon find themselves at the bottom of the sea as well! In another operation, we largely wiped out their Naval Headquarters. Aside from that, their Navy is doing quite well!” Trump wrote.

Simultaneously, Trump mentioned he is open to engaging in talks with Iran’s potential new leadership.

Following Khamenei’s death, Iranian authorities have established a transitional council.

During a phone conversation with Fox News Channel’s Jacqui Heinrich, Trump boasted about the U.S. action against Iran’s leaders. He also informed the reporter that he is aware of the remaining targets.

The President additionally said that Operation Epic Fury is moving along ‘rapidly.’

Trump told the Atlantic Sunday morning that new talks could be coming soon.

President Donald Trump announced the Iran strikes overnight Saturday. On Sunday he boasted that 48 leaders of the oppressive Iranian regime had been killed 

A handout satellite images shows flattened buildings at the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. President Donald Trump announced the death of Khamenie Saturday 

‘They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,’ the President said. ‘They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.’

Trump wouldn’t reveal when new talks might take place.

‘I can’t tell you that,’ he told the Atlantic.

He noted that some of the members of the Iranian regime who were part of the negotiations had been killed in the strikes.

‘Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big – that was a big hit,’ he said. ‘They should have done it sooner… They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute.’ 

Early Saturday morning, US and Israeli forces unleashed a torrid of attacks on Iran, with the Islamic regime retaliating by sending missiles and drones toward Israel and at a number of Arab partners of the US – including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. 

Trump ordered the strikes from Mar-a-Lago Saturday after nuclear negotiations led by envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner had broken down.  

The Iranians also targeted Saudi Arabia, which doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Israel, but whose leadership is close to Trump and Kushner.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday, President Donald Trump confirmed leading to a vacuum in leadership of the oppressive Iranian regime

Iran-linked fighters attacked an American base in Iraq.

And the Iranian regime went after targets in Oman – the country that has served as a mediator during the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US. 

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday that the USS Abraham Lincoln had been struck, with the claims going out on Iranian state media.

The US military refuted those claims, saying the Iranian missiles ‘didn’t even come close.’ 

Three American servicemembers have been killed in the fighting. 

Trump’s previous second term military forays – the attack on the trio of Iranian nuclear sites in June and the capture of Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro – did not lead to any American casualties. 

But Trump warned in his overnight message on Saturday, announcing Operation Epic Fury was taking place, that American lives could be lost.

The President has carried out the largest military operation of both terms from Florida but is expected to return to Washington, D.C. Sunday night. 

He’s talked to reporters by phone but has held no public events since his speech Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas and a stop at a Whataburger chain restaurant.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that he planned to stop by a MAGA Inc. fundraiser Saturday night being held at Mar-a-Lago.