Trump claims massive Tehran strike killed top Iranian military leaders

US President Donald Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that several of Tehran’s top military leaders had been “terminated” in what he described as a “massive strike” on the Iranian capital. The post, accompanied by a one-minute seven-second video purportedly showing the explosions lighting up the sky, came amid rapidly intensifying hostilities in West Asia and mounting uncertainty over the next phase of the conflict.

The latest salvo followed Trump’s fresh 48-hour ultimatum to Tehran, warning that “all hell will rain down” if Iran fails to either strike a deal with Washington or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route. The warning came as the US military intensified efforts to locate a missing American crew member after two US warplanes were reportedly brought down over Iran in a single day, the first such losses of the nearly six-week-long war. US officials have confirmed that one crew member remains missing inside hostile territory, triggering a high-risk search operation.

The battlefield setbacks have also fuelled political turbulence in Washington. In a significant shake-up, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to step down and retire with immediate effect, according to Pentagon officials, though no official reason was publicly given. The move came as the Trump administration faced growing scrutiny over the conduct of the war and its rising human and strategic costs.

Iran, meanwhile, has responded sharply on social media. Its embassies in South Africa and Pakistan mocked Trump’s repeated calls for “regime change” in Tehran by suggesting the political upheaval was instead unfolding in Washington. In one widely circulated post, Iran’s embassy in South Africa shared images of US military leadership figures marked off with the caption, “The regime change happened successfully,” alongside Trump’s “MAGA” slogan and a laughing emoji. Another post from Iran’s embassy in Pakistan, reacting to concerns over the missing US pilot, claimed the servicemen were “more in danger with DJ Trump than in custody in Iran,” while asserting that Iranian authorities would treat captives with “dignity and respect.”

The downing of the aircraft and Iran’s taunting response have added a volatile new dimension to an already dangerous conflict, undercutting earlier US claims of overwhelming air superiority and raising fears of further escalation across the Gulf region.

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