US President Donald Trump has provided several updates on the ongoing joint military operation by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran. Speaking to multiple American media outlets by phone, Trump said that 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and that the operation was progressing rapidly. According to a BBC live update on Monday, March 2, 2026, Trump described the campaign as advancing ahead of schedule and fulfilling all objectives.

In interviews with Fox News, CNBC, and other outlets, Trump claimed that Iranian expatriates in the United States were celebrating reports of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death. He highlighted the festive atmosphere among the large Iranian community in Los Angeles. In a separate interview with The Atlantic, Trump stated that Iran’s post-Khamenei leadership had signaled readiness to resume negotiations that had collapsed the previous week.

Trump added that he was willing to engage in talks with the new Iranian leadership, saying that such discussions should have occurred earlier. The situation marks a potential shift in US-Iran relations following the reported leadership change in Tehran.