Trump says 48 Iranian ‘leaders’ killed in US attack

AFP | Palm Beach

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Donald Trump said yesterday that 48 Iranian leaders have been killed in the US-Israeli bombardments of the country and that the offensive is “very positive.”

“Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly,” Trump was quoted as saying in an interview by Fox News.

Trump claimed overall success in the war, w h i c h was launched Saturday with the goal of removing the Islamic republic’s leadership and destroying its military. Iran has confirmed the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We’re doing our job not just for us but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule,” Trump was quoted as saying in a separate interview with CNBC.

“Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way,” he said.

The interviews were conducted before the US military for the first time announced casualties in the war: three unidentified service members killed, five seriously wounded and several others more lightly injured. Separately, Trump also said he would “be talking” to Iranian leaders but was vague on the timing and noted that much of the country’s leadership was dead.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner,” Trump was quoted as saying by The Atlantic, as US and Israeli forces press a war against Iran for a second day.

Asked when such talks might take place, Trump said “I can’t tell you.”

Trump did not indicate with whom he hoped to speak. Referring to the Iranian leadership which has been in years of on-and-off talks with US and other Western governments, Trump said “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,” Trump was quoted as saying, apparently referring to the strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials.

“They should have done it sooner,” he said. “They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute.”