Trump says ‘a lot’ of Iranian leadership gone in strikes

By Jon Haworth, Jack Moore, and Nadine El-Bawab

Last Updated: February 28, 2026, 12:52 PM MST

President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran saying it is going "very well," speaking to ABC News by phone.

Asked about how long it will last, Trump said, "As long as we wanted to, actually. But it’s done such damage already. It’s like — they are incapacitated, essentially -- as long as we wanted to."

Asked about Iranian leadership and whether the U.S. believes they were killed in strikes, Trump said, "A lot of it is, yeah. But we don’t know all, but a lot of it is. Was a very powerful strike."

Asked about the next leadership and if a leader has been identified, Trump said "Yes. We have a very good idea."

-ABC News' Jonathan Karl