BREAKING: “The strike killed every Iranian leader, ending the Iranian government overnight”

The US military has killed an Iranian official it says was tied to an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, according to a Pentagon statement.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not provide further specifics about the purported plot, and he did not identify the official.

Addressing reporters, Hegseth stressed that the individual was not a central objective of the wider campaign, but he welcomed the development.

He said: “The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down ⁠and killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump and President Trump got the last laugh.

“While that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination – in fact, never raised by the President or anybody else – I ensured, and others ensured, that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the ⁠target list.”

In 2024, the US Justice Department charged an Iranian man over an alleged assassination plan that prosecutors said had been ordered by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It remains uncertain whether that earlier case is the same incident Hegseth was referencing.

Iranian officials in Tehran have rejected claims that the country has targeted Trump or other US personnel.

While the US has confirmed the deaths of senior Iranian figures, American forces have also suffered losses. Four service members have died since fighting began on February 28, when the US and Israel started bombing Iran.

After those strikes, Iran responded with missile and drone attacks in the region, including strikes aimed at US bases in neighboring countries.

Trump released a statement mourning the four deaths, while also warning that additional casualties may occur.

The US military identified the fallen service members as US Army Reserve soldiers Capt Cody Khork, 35, Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan Coady, 20.

Trump also said the US is moving faster than initially expected in pursuing its goals in Iran.

He said: “In their memory we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime imposes on American people.”

He added that the operation is already “substantially ahead” of earlier timelines, saying the administration originally anticipated four to five weeks, while noting they have “capability to go far longer”.