Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
US President Donald Trump on Sunday addressed the first American military fatalities in the ongoing war with Iran, warning that further casualties are possible and signaling that the conflict could continue for several weeks.
Speaking in an exclusive phone interview with Daily Mail, Trump confirmed that three US service members were killed in the fighting. Their identities have not yet been publicly released.
“They’re great people,” Trump said, while acknowledging the risks inherent in the military campaign. “We expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous it could happen again.”
The president noted that the deaths mark the first American combat fatalities of his second term, contrasting them with earlier operations, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the June strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which he said were conducted without US losses.
Trump indicated the military campaign is proceeding largely as planned but cautioned that the scale of Iran makes the operation complex. He suggested the core phase of the conflict could last about four weeks.
“It’s always been a four-week process… it’ll take four weeks or less,” he said.
Despite the escalation, Trump said he remains open to renewed talks with Tehran, though he expressed frustration over the timing. “They want to talk, but I said you should have talked last week, not this week,” he said, adding he could not say whether negotiations would resume soon.
The president spoke from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he has been based since ordering the strikes. He said he is in regular contact with military commanders and is preparing to brief the American public again, though no timing was announced.
Trump also confirmed that US officials have been in touch with the families of the fallen troops and said he expects to meet them at an appropriate time. He added he may travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer of the service members’ remains or invite their relatives to the White House.
The remarks come as Washington continues coordinating with regional allies. Trump said he spoke Sunday with leaders in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, noting that several countries in the region are already engaged in the widening confrontation.
Looking beyond the current fighting, Trump voiced cautious optimism about Iran’s future political trajectory following the military campaign.
“A lot of things could happen and a lot of very positive things could happen,” he said.
