Supporters of Bolsonaro rally across Brazil against Lula

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in cities across the South American nation on Sunday, as organizers hoped to build momentum for a right-wing victory in the upcoming presidential elections.

Protesters draped in yellow and green — the colors of the national flag — took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital Brasilia to voice their opposition to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who faces a tough reelection bid in October.

“This year will be decisive for all Brazilians,” Flávio Bolsonaro, the ex-president’s son who was chosen by his father to stand against Lula, said on Instagram ahead of the demonstration. “We’re one step away from succeeding at rescuing our Brazil.”

Flávio has sought to rally the right around his candidacy against Lula, who has said he will run for a fourth, nonconsecutive term.

Bolsonaro is in prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup despite his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula. Many of Bolsonaro’s supporters believe the embattled far-right leader is the victim of political persecution.

“We believe that 2026 will be the year of the turning point. We have a project led by President Bolsonaro, which was entrusted to Flávio Bolsonaro,” said Douglas Ruas dos Santos, a state lawmaker at the protest in Rio.

Recent polls show Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula as almost tied in a hypothetical run-off vote.

“The demonstration celebrated the candidacy of Flávio Bolsonaro,” said Pablo Ortellado, a professor of public policy at the University of Sao Paulo, adding that the former president's son is consolidating himself as the right's nominee ahead of October's vote.

In Sao Paulo, signs with the message “Free Bolsonaro” abounded on the city’s main artery, Paulista Avenue. Huge inflatable figures depicted Lula in prison clothing and Bolsonaro with the presidential sash. Some waved American flags.

In his speech addressing the crowds, Flávio criticized the Supreme Court, which he accused of “destroying democracy.” A panel of Supreme Cour t justices sentenced Bolsonaro last September.

“The Brazilian people will have the opportunity to choose candidates who are committed to restoring our democracy,” he said.

Protesters took aim at Justice Alexandre de Moraes — who led the case against Bolsonaro — and Justice José Antonio Dias Toffoli, who is facing scrutiny in the context of a sprawling investigation into wrongdoing at Banco Master.

Igor Jardim, a 45-year-old military officer who was at the protest in Copacabana in Rio, said that Brazil needed to “wake up” - a reference to the slogan of Sunday’s marches, “Wake up Brazil.”

Jardim said he backs Flávio’s candidacy. “He has good proposals, he has a motivation that I think is appropriate for this, and he is our hope.”

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Lucas Dumphreys and Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report.

Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a candidate in Brazil's October presidential election, gestures to supporters during a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro take part in a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro take part in a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a candidate in Brazil's October presidential election, gestures to supporters during a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro take part in a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the U.S. attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that President Donald Trump said could likely lead to more losses in the coming weeks.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when and where they occurred as the Islamic Republic retaliates over the joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel. The post said “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty.

“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

In the roughly six-minute video, Trump called those killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.” He said the U.S. will avenge their deaths.

Trump earlier told the Daily Mail in a phone interview Sunday that the U.S. troops who were killed were “great people.”

“You know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately,” Trump told the newspaper. “Could happen continuous — it could happen again.”

He also told the Daily Mail that he believes the conflict could last for “four weeks or so.” He had previously warned that American troops could be killed or injured in the operation.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” the Republican president said in a video address released early Saturday. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future.”

Central Command, meanwhile, described the situation “as fluid” and said it would withhold the identities of the service members who were killed for 24 hours after their families were notified.

Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders, Iran's counterattacks have struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. military denied Iranian claims that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was struck with ballistic missiles, saying on X that the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.”

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israeli and American military installations.

Before the strikes, Trump had built up the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the Lincoln and three accompanying guided-missile destroyers at the end of January bolstered the number of warships in the region.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and four accompanying destroyers later were dispatched from the Caribbean Sea to head to the Middle East.

The Ford was part of the U.S. raid in Venezuela that captured leader Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The operation in January claimed no American lives but left seven U.S. troops with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.

One of those injured received the Medal of Honor during Trump's State of the Union address last week. Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover piloted the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” where Maduro was staying.

Trump has launched several military operations during his second term, including strikes on members of the Islamic State group in Syria in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter in December.

The U.S. military has also struck IS forces in Nigeria, after Trump accused the West African country’s government of failing to rein in the targeting of Christians.

This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) firing a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) in support of Operation Epic Fury, on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (U.S. Navy via AP)

This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet preparing to launch from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy via AP)

This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows a F/A-18E Super Hornet preparing to make an arrested landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) after a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy via AP)