First casualties in the US-Iran war: 3 American soldiers killed! Trump admits "casualties will reoccur," BTC fluctuates at $66,600

U.S. President Trump speaks for the first time on Sunday about American military casualties in Iran’s military actions, admitting that three U.S. troops were killed in combat and stating that “casualties may occur repeatedly.” This is the first U.S. military death incident since Trump’s second term began. Amid war fears, Bitcoin briefly plummeted to $63,000, then rebounded to around $68,000 after news of Qasem Soleimani’s death spread.

(Background: Reports of Israel launching a “preemptive” military strike on Iran! Bitcoin suddenly drops below $65,000, market panic surges)

(Additional context: 2026’s biggest trading theme: Trump, who can’t afford to lose in the midterms, and the end of the international order)

Table of Contents

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• “Epic Fury” Operation Full Force Revealed
• Soleimani Confirmed Dead, 40 High-Ranking Officials Killed
• Crypto Market Turbulence: Bullish or Bearish?

Tags: US
President Trump issued a video statement on Sunday, responding for the first time to U.S. military casualties in the Iran-U.S. conflict. According to the UK Daily Mail, Trump stated:

“Unfortunately, this is a possibility. Casualties may occur repeatedly — it could happen again.”

Trump acknowledged that the death of three U.S. service members is the first such incident during his second term. The fallen soldiers belonged to the logistics support unit stationed in Kuwait, with five others seriously injured.

He also commented on the conflict timeline: “We expect it to last about four weeks. This is a large country, so it will take roughly four weeks — or less.” He said that all outcomes of the strikes so far have been within expectations.

“Epic Fury” Operation Full Force Revealed

On March 1, local time, U.S. Central Command officially announced part of the troop and equipment deployment under the code name “Epic Fury.” In terms of air power, the U.S. deployed B-2 stealth bombers carrying 2,000-pound bombs, various fighter jets, electronic warfare aircraft, reconnaissance drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles; coordinated with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, missile destroyers, and ground missile systems for joint strikes.

Targeted objectives included Iran’s military command and control systems, IRGC headquarters, air defense systems, ballistic missile bases, and some naval vessels and anti-ship missile sites. The U.S. emphasized that publicly available information does not include strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and some operational capabilities remain undisclosed.

According to statistics, within two days, over 1,000 Iranian targets were hit, and Trump claimed that nine Iranian naval vessels were destroyed and sunk.

Soleimani Confirmed Dead, 40 High-Ranking Officials Killed

Iranian state media initially denied but eventually confirmed that Supreme Leader Khamenei died after rescue efforts failed during the U.S.-Israeli joint airstrike on February 28. Along with him, 40 senior military officials, including Defense Minister Naser Zadeh, IRGC Commander Parchpoul, and Defense Committee Secretary Shamshani, also perished.

The Red Crescent reported that the airstrikes caused at least 201 deaths and over 700 injuries. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, with reports of four missiles hitting the U.S. aircraft carrier Lincoln.

Crypto Market Turbulence: Bullish or Bearish?

Affected by escalating regional conflict, Bitcoin dropped from $70,000 to $63,000 during the period around February 28, then rebounded to a high of $68,000 after a day of consolidation. Early this morning at 5 a.m., it briefly fell to $65,293, currently trading at $66,627. Ethereum nearly broke below $1,900 in the early morning but is now at $1,962.

Following the news of Soleimani’s death, traders expect Iran’s political turmoil to accelerate and ease tensions. Bitcoin quickly rebounded above $68,000 in a weekend with low liquidity. The total crypto market cap is about $2.40 trillion, with Bitcoin dominance at 56.1%.

The UK government issued a statement saying, “We do not want the situation to escalate into a broader regional conflict”; China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for an immediate halt to military actions, resumption of dialogue and negotiations, and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.