Miami: President Donald Trump has signalled that the American-Israel war against Iran is nearing a swift conclusion. Addressing House Republicans and the international press corps at his Doral resort in Florida on Monday, the President claimed that the military campaign—which he described as a “short-term excursion”—is running significantly faster than his generals had originally predicted.
“Ahead of Schedule”
Speaking during a policy retreat for congressional Republicans, Mr Trump was bullish about the progress of “Operation Epic Fury.” He told the gathered representatives that the United States had achieved “major strides” and that the initial objectives were “pretty well complete.”
“We’re ahead of our initial timeline by a lot,” the President told reporters later that afternoon. “I would say that we probably would not have thought after a month we’d be here, but we are. Way ahead of schedule, it’s gonna be ended soon.”
When pressed by the press on whether the war would conclude within the week, Mr Trump tempered his timeline slightly but maintained his confidence. “No, not this week, but I think soon. Very soon. If it starts up again, they’ll be hit even harder.”
Decimation of the “Evil Empire”
The President spent much of his address touting the scale of the bombardment. According to the Commander-in-Chief, US and Israeli forces have struck more than 5,000 targets in just over ten days. He claimed that the Iranian navy had been effectively “sunk” and its drone-manufacturing capabilities “utterly demolished.”
“We wiped every single force in Iran,” Mr Trump declared, crediting the $1 trillion military investment secured by the Republicans in the room for the “stunning” display of force. He suggested that while the US is not yet declaring “mission accomplished,” the Iranian regime is currently in a position of “certain death” unless it agrees to an unconditional surrender.
The Shadow of Succession
The President’s remarks come amidst a chaotic leadership transition in Tehran following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the conflict by an America-US combined attack on the Supreme Leader. Mr Trump expressed blunt “disappointment” at the appointment of the late leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader.
“I think they made a big mistake. I don’t know if it’s going to last,” the President remarked, adding a stern warning that any future Iranian leader would need “approval” from Washington to remain in power. “We want to make sure we don’t have to go back every ten years. He’s going to have to do something peacefully for a change.”
