US expects ‘additional losses’ after four US troops killed in Iran operation

US Air Force General Dan Caine stated Monday evening that the United States anticipates “additional losses” after four US troops were killed during operations in Iran.

The announcement came as General Caine and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the media amid ongoing US strikes on Iranian targets during a press conference in Arlington, Virginia.

Earlier, the US and Israel conducted a “pre-emptive” joint strike against Iranian sites, with former President Trump announcing the beginning of “major combat operations.”

Iranian state media reported that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated in the attacks. However, Ali Larijani stated that Tehran will not enter negotiations with the US, despite reports suggesting Iran is seeking to revive talks.

Since February 28, US-Israeli strikes have reportedly killed at least 555 people across 131 Iranian cities. Meanwhile, Iran has targeted key US military bases in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait.

⭕ LIVE: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses media on US attacks on Iran at press conference in Arlington, Virginia. https://t.co/4sVBPebPx3

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 2, 2026

Meanwhile, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the widow of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, has died from injuries she suffered during a US-Israel joint missile attack on Tehran. The 78-year-old Bagherzadeh succumbed to wounds sustained in the barrage that struck Iran’s capital late last week as part of a massive joint offensive by Washington and Tel Aviv.