US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that US and Israeli strikes have killed 48 senior Iranian leaders, describing the campaign as moving faster than expected and achieving significant results. In an interview with Fox News, he stated, “Nobody can believe the success we’re having. Forty-eight leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly.”

Speaking separately to CNBC, Trump emphasized that the military offensive, which began Saturday, is meeting its goals. “We’re doing our job not just for us, but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule,” he said. “Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way.”

U.S. Military Reports Casualties and Strikes

The interviews came before the U.S. military released its first casualty report. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that three service members were killed, five were seriously injured, and several others sustained minor injuries. CENTCOM also reported that a U.S. strike had sunk an Iranian warship at a dock in the Gulf of Oman.

Trump Hints at Talks with Iran

Trump indicated he plans to talk with Iranian leaders but gave no specific timeline, noting that many officials are dead. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner,” he told The Atlantic. When asked about the timing of such talks, he said, “I can’t tell you.”

Referring to Iran’s leadership, which has been involved in years of intermittent negotiations with the U.S. and other Western nations, Trump noted, “most of those people are gone.” He appeared to reference the strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, saying, “Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big – that was a big hit. They should have done it sooner. They could have made a deal." He further added, "They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute.”

Reiterating Success

In another Fox News interview, Trump again highlighted the results of the Saturday attacks. “Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly,” he said.