LIVE | Trump accuses Iran of using AI to spread false reports of U.S. military losses

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence to circulate false claims about American military losses amid the ongoing conflict. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said Tehran is promoting manipulated images and videos intended to exaggerate its military successes.

According to the president, some of the content being shared allegedly includes AI-generated footage showing “kamikaze boats” attacking ships as well as fabricated images suggesting damage to U.S. military assets. Trump argued that the material is being amplified by media organizations he frequently criticizes as “fake news.”

The president also rejected reports claiming that five U.S. refueling aircraft had been struck or that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had been hit. Trump described those claims as inaccurate and reiterated his view that Iranian military capabilities have been heavily degraded during recent operations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of launching what he described as an “illegal war” against Iran and claimed that President Donald Trump initiated the attacks “because it is fun.” Araghchi made the remarks during an interview on the U.S. television program Face the Nation.

The Iranian diplomat said his country is prepared to defend itself for as long as necessary in response to the ongoing U.S. military operations. According to Araghchi, Washington’s actions are causing casualties and destruction as the conflict continues to escalate.

His comments come as tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, with the Trump administration signaling that the confrontation could last longer than initially expected.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran’s armed forces have been “decimated” following recent military operations and claimed that American strikes have destroyed much of the country’s air defense network. The remarks came as Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Joint Base Andrews.

While the president stopped short of formally declaring victory in the conflict, he argued that the damage inflicted on Iran’s military capabilities has been substantial. In his view, if the United States halted operations immediately, Iran would need many years to rebuild its military strength.

Trump also said the strikes have significantly weakened Iran’s air force and air defense systems, and that the country’s missile and drone capabilities have been sharply reduced.

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said he is prepared to lead a political transition in Iran if the current regime collapses. In a message shared on social media, the son of Iran’s last shah stated that he has spent recent months developing a plan aimed at ensuring governmental continuity should the Islamic Republic fall.

According to Pahlavi, individuals with the necessary experience and expertise have already been identified both inside and outside the country to take part in what he described as a transitional governing structure. The proposal, he said, would aim to maintain stability and public order while Iran moves toward a new political system.

Pahlavi added that his vision for a post-Islamic Republic government is tied to the “Iran Prosperity Project,” an initiative designed to prepare for the country’s political and economic reconstruction.

Iran women's soccer team captain Zahra Ghanbari withdrew her application for asylum in Australia, state media reported. She is the fifth member of the delegation to do so.

The team members sought asylum after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asian Cup match earlier this month in a gesture of defiance to the Islamic republic.

Several drones and rockets attacked on Sunday the Victory Military Base in the Baghdad Airport compound in Iraq, which also houses U.S. diplomatic facilities, three security sources told AFP.

The Italian military reported that Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, where Italian and American forces are stationed, suffered a drone attack that caused no casualties.

At least eight people were injured in Israel in several missile strikes from Iran, local authorities, Israeli police and first responders from Magen David Adom (Israel's emergency services) reported that two shells contained cluster munitions.

Iranian authorities arrested at least 38 people in various parts of the country accused of cooperating with Israel.

At least 20 were detained in the province of West Azerbaijan, in the northwest for "transmitting information on military, police and security sites to the Zionist enemy," Fars news agency reported.

The Tasnim news agency, which cited the Intelligence Ministry, reported that 18 others were arrested for "sending images of sites bombed by Israel and the United States," as well as others, to the London-based Iran International television channel.

Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah claimed that it launched an attack with "a sophisticated missile" against Palmajim Base in Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview published Sunday that the war with the United States and Israel will only end when Tehran can be sure that it will not be repeated.

"This war will end when we are certain that it will not happen again and that reparations will be paid. We already experienced this last year: Israel attacked, then the United States ... they regrouped and attacked us again," Araqchi told the Arabic-language media outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, referring to Iran's June 2025 war with Israel and the United States.

Donald Trump warned that he is unwilling to seek a deal to end the war with Iran, as U.S. ally Israel launched a new wave of attacks on Sunday and Tehran's Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to hunt down and assassinate the Israeli leader.

In an interview with NBC News, the U.S. president said he believed Tehran was willing to come to the negotiating table, but that Washington would continue to fight for better terms and might bomb targets on Kharg Island, Iran's oil hub, once again, "just for fun."

According to its Sepah News website, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed on Sunday to "hunt down and kill" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Pentagon released the identities of six U.S. crew members killed in the crash of a refueling plane in western Iraq earlier this week, an event that officials said was not caused by "hostile fire."

The Pentagon said the six members killed in the crash were John Klinner, 33; Ariana Savino, 31; Ashley Pruitt, 34; Seth Koval, 38; Curtis Angst, 30; and Tyler Simmons, 28.

South Korea is evacuating 204 of its citizens and seven nationals of other nationalities from the Middle East using a military aircraft, the Foreign Ministry said, calling the operation "unprecedented."

The evacuees are expected to arrive in South Korea on Sunday afternoon.

As reported by two AFP journalists, explosions were heard early Sunday in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

Bahrain claimed to have intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of the Iranian attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighboring Gulf countries.

Formula 1 races scheduled for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been canceled due to the conflict, the motorsport's governing body has announced.