The president's day was eventful: from interviews with several news agencies to a speech before Republican lawmakers and an official briefing on the war with Iran.
Here are the key points from Trump's statements today:
- During an interview on CBS News, he said, "I believe the war is close to ending," adding that the U.S. is "significantly ahead of schedule."
- On NBC, he left open the possibility of acquiring Iranian oil, saying, "This topic has been discussed."
- In a conversation with the New York Post, he noted that the administration is "far from close" to a decision on deploying American troops to Iran.
- Speaking before Republican lawmakers, Trump characterized U.S. actions as a "short-term" military operation aimed at "destroying evil people."
- He added, "We have already achieved many victories, but 'victory is not enough.'
- Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei but did not specify who could take his place or how that might happen.
- At a press conference, he reiterated that the operation in Iran was a "huge success," but added that it is necessary to "ensure that Iran cannot create nuclear weapons" "for a long time," which is a more complex task.
- Trump also noted that the U.S. "still has objectives in Iran" that could be achieved "in one day."
- Nevertheless, he claims that the war will end "in the near future."
A journalist asked how many American casualties Trump is willing to accept during the war after news broke of the seventh death of an American soldier.
"There are always losses in such conflicts," Trump replied.
The president shared that he met with the families of fallen service members two days ago at Dover Air Force Base.
According to him, all the families conveyed a similar message to him: "[They said]: 'Finish what you started, sir, please finish what you started.'"
Trump's recent statements raise doubts about his confidence in the imminent end of the war.
Anthony Zurcher,
BBC North America Correspondent
Although Trump had previously hinted at the possibility of ending military actions against Iran, his recent comments cast doubt on this.
He characterized U.S. actions as a "huge success," mentioning the sinking of the Iranian navy, the destruction of its aviation, and the disabling of radars and anti-aircraft systems.
However, Trump added that it is necessary to ensure that Iran cannot develop weapons aimed at the U.S., Israel, or their allies "for a long time," which is a more complex task.
Ultimately, resolving this issue may require a regime change, which has not yet been achieved.
In response to journalists' questions, Trump mentioned a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that took place earlier the same day.
"We discussed Ukraine, which is an endless struggle," he noted.
"There is deep hatred between Putin and Zelensky; they seem unable to reconcile. Nevertheless, I think the conversation was positive."
Additionally, they discussed Middle Eastern issues, and Putin expressed a desire "to be helpful."
"I said, 'You can provide significant assistance if you help Ukraine end the war. That would be much more helpful.' But our conversation was very productive."
Also on Monday, Putin congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Supreme Leader of Iran and reaffirmed Moscow's support for Tehran, according to a statement published on the Kremlin's website.
Meanwhile, mass rallies are taking place in Iran in support of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, despite ongoing deadly bombings by the U.S. and Israel.
Saudi military intercepted two more drones.
According to a statement from a Saudi defense ministry representative, the country's military recently intercepted two drones heading east.
This occurred less than three hours after defense systems 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 today in the southern regions of Lebanon.
The statement said that fighters ambushed Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of the city of Khiam and hit three "Merkava" tanks, all of which caught fire.
Earlier, the group reported two rocket salvos against Israeli forces in Merkab and artillery shelling in the area of the village of Aitarun. An attack on Israeli soldiers in the area of the Kahil heights on the eastern outskirts of the city of Maroun al-Ras was also confirmed.
Taiwan reports no proposals from the U.S. for transferring weapons to the Middle East.
Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the U.S. has not approached the island nation with a request to transfer weapons to the Middle East, following statements from South Korea about negotiations with the Trump administration on this matter.
On Tuesday, speaking with journalists, Koo noted that if any of the U.S.-made weapons from Taiwan were to be moved, it would only happen at the request of the American side.
"At this time regarding the war between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. has not approached us with a request to use any of our equipment," Koo stated, according to Reuters.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that American and South Korean military officials are negotiating the possible redeployment of some American Patriot missile systems located in South Korea for use against Iran.
According to media reports citing sources in the South Korean government, Patriot systems are being prepared for shipment to the Middle East, and heavy American military transport aircraft are arriving in the country for their transportation.
Dozens killed in Tehran due to "the most intense bombings" of the war.
Mohamed Vall
Reporting from Tehran, Iran.
Several hours ago, the Iranian capital Tehran experienced one of the most severe bombardments since the beginning of the conflict, affecting the eastern, southern, and western areas of the city.
The explosions were so powerful that they shook the windows in our office. It is not possible to confirm specific strike locations as the Iranian government does not disclose such information, and media access to the sites remains limited.
However, it is known that they were very intense and became some of the most powerful since the war began.
Throughout the day, the bombardments also affected areas around Tehran and other cities, including Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Karaj in the west, where power supply disruptions occurred.
It appears that the bombardments covered the entire country. The targets are currently unknown; however, authorities in Isfahan reported that a strike hit the governor's building and a historical site included in the UNESCO list.
According to available data, at least 40 people were killed in eastern Tehran, near Risalat Square, marking the latest incident among the civilian population. The total number of civilian casualties has exceeded 1,300, and authorities express deep concern about this.
A drone attacked an American base near the airport in Baghdad.
According to a source in the Iraqi security services, a drone attacked a U.S. logistics camp located near the airport in Baghdad.
In Qatar, the threat level was raised on Monday. Later, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that it successfully intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and seven drones.
In Bahrain, a 29-year-old woman was killed as a result of an Iranian attack on a residential building in the capital Manama.
It is becoming clear that Iranian attacks are targeting energy infrastructure in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region.
On Monday in Bahrain, a drone attacked the BAPCO oil refinery, one of the largest in the country, causing huge plumes of black smoke to rise above the facility.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported intercepting nine drones heading towards the Shaybah oil fields in the Rub' al Khali desert, near the border with the UAE.
The 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 claims to have used dozens of drones and missiles during the attacks.
The record Conflict in Iran: Trump predicts imminent end, but attacks in the Persian Gulf continue first appeared on K-News.
