Senior military officials on Monday defended Trump's strategy launching a high-stakes attack on Iran, which has sparked widespread escalation throughout the Middle East teetering on full-scale war.
Trump, who for weeks teased the broad military campaign against the regime in Tehran, launched Operation Epic Fury from his Mar-a-Lago resort, dubbed his makeshift Situation Room.
The president has taken an unconventional approach to the start of the conflict.
While U.S. presidents typically announce major international operations during live addresses to the nation, Trump instead released a video on Truth Social in the early morning hours of Saturday announcing the joint U.S.-Israeli operation.
The president posted another six-minute video to his Truth Social account on Sunday afternoon, more than a day and a half after the operation started.
Trump took phone calls from individual reporters seeking answers about his strategy and timeline on behalf of the American people.
But the first in-person update came from Hegseth and Caine on Monday morning, roughly 57 hours into the operation.
The president has spoken to at least 10 news outlets by phone since Saturday. Here's what we know so far:
How long does Trump expect this military operation to last?: When Trump spoke to an Axios reporter on Saturday, he suggested the military campaign may only take "two or three days." But then on Sunday, he told The Daily Mail that "it has always been a four-week process" and he told The New York Times he expects it to last roughly "four to five weeks."
"We're already substantially ahead of our time projections," Trump maintained during a White House Medal of Honor ceremony late Monday morning where he repeated the four-to-five-week estimate.
What is Trump's goal?: Trump has swung between two objectives: regime change and ending Iran's nuclear ambitions. He told The Washington Post on Saturday that his goal is "freedom for the people." He then told The Atlantic on Sunday that he has "agreed to talk" with Iran's new leadership, suggesting nuclear negotiations could resume. But he also urged Iranians in a social media video to "be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country."
How does Trump think the operation has gone so far?: He told MS NOW late Saturday that he thinks the U.S. celebrations following the killing of Iran's supreme leader have been "fantastic." And he told CNBC the U.S.'s military operations are "ahead of schedule."
Trump previews next steps: The president told CNN's Jake Tapper today that a "big wave" has yet to take place. "We haven't even started hitting them hard," Trump said. "The big wave hasn't even happened. This big one is coming soon."
Who does the U.S. want to replace Iran's leader?: Trump told ABC News's Jonathan Karl that U.S. officials had identified several contenders to replace Iran's supreme leader. However, Trump said a number of them were killed in the initial attack. "The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates," Trump said. "It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead."
💬 Follow today's live blog
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.