U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. and Israel are on track to achieve their military goals in Iran and expressed hope that the conflict could end "very soon," although he noted that it would not conclude this week.
Trump had a busy day, including interviews with several news outlets, a speech at a Republican conference, and a press briefing regarding the situation in Iran.
Here is a brief overview of Trump's key statements from the day:
- In an interview with CBS News, he said: "I believe the war is virtually over," adding that the U.S. is "significantly ahead of schedule."
- In a conversation with NBC, he left open the possibility of purchasing Iranian oil, stating: "That has certainly been discussed."
- Trump told the New York Post that his administration is "far from close" to making a decision about deploying U.S. troops to Iran.
- At a meeting with Republicans, he noted that the U.S. is engaged in a "short-term" military operation in Iran to "destroy very evil people."
- He also emphasized: "We have won in many aspects, but that is not enough."
- Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but did not specify during the press conference who might succeed him or how that could be achieved.
- During the press briefing, he reiterated the "huge success" of the operation in Iran but added that he wants to ensure Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons "for a long time," which is a more complex task.
- Trump noted that the U.S. still has targets in Iran that could be eliminated "in one day."
- Nevertheless, he claims that the war will end "very soon." When asked by a journalist how many American lives Trump is willing to lose in this war after the death of the seventh serviceman was confirmed, the president replied: "There are always casualties in such conflicts."
Two days ago, Trump met with the families of fallen soldiers at Dover Air Force Base.
He noted that all the families conveyed the same message to him: "[They said]: 'Finish what you started, sir, please finish what you started.'"
Trump's recent statements cast doubt on his claims of an imminent end to the war.
Anthony Zurcher,
BBC North America Correspondent
Although Trump hinted at the possibility of ending military actions against Iran before the press conference, his recent comments raise doubts.
The president emphasized that U.S. actions are currently a "huge success," listing instances of sinking the Iranian navy and destroying its military aviation, as well as dismantling radars and anti-aircraft equipment.
However, he added that he aims to ensure Iran does not have the capability to develop weapons that threaten the U.S., Israel, or other allies "for a long time."
This task, however, is more extensive. Ultimately, achieving it may require a regime change, which Trump has not yet been able to accomplish.
In response to journalists' questions, he also spoke about his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place earlier that same day.
"We discussed Ukraine, which has become an endless struggle," Trump noted.
"There is a huge hatred between Putin and Zelensky; they cannot reconcile. But I believe the conversation was positive."
He also added that they discussed the situation in the Middle East, and Putin expressed a desire "to be helpful."
"I said: 'You could provide significant help if you helped Ukraine end the war. That would be much more helpful.' But overall, the conversation went well."
Additionally, on Monday, Putin congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Supreme Leader of Iran and reaffirmed Moscow's support for Tehran, according to information published on the Kremlin's website.
Meanwhile, mass rallies in support of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are taking place across Iran, despite ongoing deadly bombings by the U.S. and Israel.
The Saudi army intercepted two more drones.
A representative of the Saudi Ministry of Defense reported that the country's military has just intercepted two drones heading east over the kingdom.
This occurred less than three hours after Saudi Arabia's air defense systems successfully intercepted two other drones near the Al-Harj province.
"Hezbollah" claimed responsibility for the attack on Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese armed group reported that its fighters attacked Israeli soldiers in southern areas of Lebanon today.
In a statement, it said that their fighters ambushed Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of the city of Khiam and destroyed three "Merkava" tanks. All three tanks caught fire.
Earlier, the group reported two rocket salvos against Israeli forces in the city of Merkabah and artillery shelling of Israeli positions in the area of the village of Aytarun. They also claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Israeli soldiers in the Kahil heights on the eastern outskirts of the city of Marun al-Ras.
Taiwan reports no proposals from the U.S. for arms transfer to the Middle East.
Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the U.S. has not approached the island regarding an arms transfer to the Middle East, despite South Korea reporting negotiations with the Trump administration on this matter.
On Tuesday, speaking to reporters, Koo noted that any weapons produced in the U.S. can only be relocated at the request of the American side.
"But at this moment, due to the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, they have not approached us with a request to use any of our equipment," Koo added, as reported by Reuters.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated on Friday that American and South Korean military officials are negotiating the possibility of relocating some American Patriot missile systems stationed in South Korea for use in conflicts with Iran.
According to media reports citing South Korean government sources, Patriot systems are being prepared for relocation to the Middle East, and heavy American military transport planes are arriving in the country to begin air transport.
Dozens killed in Tehran due to "the most intense bombings" of the war.
Mohamed Vall
Reporting from Tehran, Iran.
Today, the Iranian capital Tehran was subjected to one of the most powerful bombings since the beginning of the conflict, affecting the eastern, southern, and western areas of the city.
The explosions were so loud that they shook the windows in the office. We could not confirm specific locations of the attacks, as the Iranian government has not released this information, and media access to the strike sites remains limited.
It is known that the bombings were very intense and became some of the strongest throughout the war.
Throughout the day, strikes also affected areas around Tehran and other cities, including Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Karaj in the west, where the power grid was partially disabled.
The bombings apparently covered the entire country. The targets remain unknown; however, in Isfahan, authorities reported that the strike hit the governor's building and a historical site listed by UNESCO.
At least 40 people have died as a result of the attacks near Risalat Square in eastern Tehran, marking yet another tragic incident among the civilian population. The total number of civilian casualties has exceeded 1,300, and authorities are concerned about this figure.
A drone attacked an American base near Baghdad airport.
According to sources in Iraqi security services, a drone attacked a U.S. logistics camp located near the airport in Baghdad, our colleagues from Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
In Qatar, the threat level was raised on Monday, and later the Ministry of Defense confirmed the successful interception of 17 ballistic missiles and seven drones.
In Bahrain, the death of a 29-year-old woman was confirmed as a result of an Iranian attack on a residential building in the capital Manama.
It is becoming evident that Iranian attacks are targeting the energy infrastructure in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region.
In Bahrain, a drone attacked the BAPCO oil refinery, one of the largest in the country. Photos show large plumes of black smoke rising above the facility.
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Defense reported the interception of nine drones attempting to strike the Shaybah oil fields in the Rub' al Khali desert in the southeast of the kingdom, near the border with the UAE.
Islamic resistance in Iraq claims that its fighters conducted 37 operations against "enemy bases in Iraq and the region" in the last 24 hours.
The pro-Iranian group reported that it used dozens of drones and missiles during the attacks.
The article "War in Iran: Trump claims the conflict will end soon; attacks in the Persian Gulf continue" first appeared on K-News.
