In a series of escalating statements on March 13, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social at 12:33 AM: 'It is my great honor to be killing them,' referring to Iranians. He boasted of 'unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time,' claiming Iran's navy, air force, and leadership had been destroyed.
Hours later, six US crew members of a KC-135 military refueling plane that crashed in western Iraq were confirmed dead — the latest American casualties in the conflict that began February 28. Trump's celebratory post about 'killing' came just before more American deaths were confirmed.
When asked about an exit strategy for the war, Trump stated it would end 'when I feel it in my bones' — an admission that the administration has no concrete plan, timeline, or strategy for ending the conflict.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who attended a classified briefing on the war, said afterward: 'This administration has no idea what they are doing. There is no viable war plan. They are being given directions by a senile old man who is losing his mind.' Murphy specifically criticized the lack of planning for Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling it '100 percent foreseeable.'
The war had cost $11.3 billion in its first week and killed over 1,200 people in Iran, including, by early reports, 175 or more at a school in Minab (the local prosecutor later put the toll at 156).
Correction (September 17, 2026): an earlier version of this entry described the Minab school as a girls' school. A UN fact-finding mission describes it as a primary school for girls and boys aged 6 to 13 and cites a final local toll of 156, including 120 schoolchildren.