President Donald Trump said on March 1, 2026 that 48 Iranian leaders have been killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran’s leadership. In an interview with Fox News, Trump described the result of the air campaign, saying, “Nobody can believe the success we’re having. Forty-eight leaders are gone in one shot, and it’s moving along rapidly.” He added that the campaign “is moving along rapidly” and framed the operation as a coordinated effort involving both U.S. and Israeli forces.
The strikes are part of a broader offensive launched at the end of February by the United States and Israel, targeting Iranian military facilities, missile sites and command centers. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of airstrikes, a detail confirmed by Iranian state media and later acknowledged by Trump and Israeli leaders.
“We feel that that is a correct story,” Trump told NBC News when asked whether reports of Khamenei’s death were accurate, without providing independent evidence of every detail.
Iran’s state television and the official IRNA news agency reported Khamenei’s death and the deaths of several family members and senior advisers. The Iranian government declared 40 days of mourning following his death, describing him as the nation’s supreme leader since 1989.
In his social media posts, Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and wrote that the attacks represented an opportunity for Iranians to change their government. He wrote that Iran’s top commanders and security officials “were unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems” and were killed alongside Khamenei.
The operation, dubbed by some outlets as “Operation Epic Fury,” followed months of diplomatic tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and regional influence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier in the campaign that there were “many signs” Khamenei was no longer alive after Israeli strikes hit the leader’s compound.
Reuters and AP reported that the joint strikes targeted command infrastructure and military sites, with Israel acknowledging several senior defense and security officials among those killed. Other top figures, according to Israeli military statements, included commanders and military intelligence leaders.
Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks against U.S. and allied forces stationed in the Gulf region, including bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to regional security updates. Explosions and intercepted launches have affected civilian areas in multiple Gulf cities, drawing international attention to the widening conflict.
World leaders have called for restraint and a return to diplomatic talks. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany issued a joint statement urging renewed negotiations and cautioning against further escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the strikes, describing the operation as a violation of international norms.
Casualty figures vary as reporting continues, and independent verification of all deaths attributed to the strikes is limited. Iran’s official figures list more than 200 killed across the initial attacks, including commanders and civilians, but comprehensive third-party confirmation remains unavailable.
The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session to discuss the crisis, with some members calling for an immediate ceasefire and others framing the conflict as a threat to regional stability. Despite the variants in political response, global concern about the trajectory of the hostilities remains present in public statements and diplomatic channels.
Featured image via X screengrab
