US President Donald Trump said Iran’s military leadership and key defence capabilities had been dismantled and declared it was “too late” for talks, as he pushed back against commentary in an opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal.
“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!'” Trump wrote, adding that the United States possesses “unlimited mid to upper tier Weaponry – Brutal ‘stuff.'”
He also dismissed the Journal’s coverage as “wrong, and a disgrace.”
The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has now entered its fourth consecutive day, with no indication of a pause. Israel said its air force struck key government sites in Iran overnight, including the presidential complex and a building associated with the country’s top security body.
Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes aimed at Israel and at Gulf states hosting US military bases. The exchanges began after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on Saturday and have since escalated into sustained cross-border attacks.
Donald Trump’s remarks came in response to a column by Marc Thiessen, a columnist and former White House director of speechwriting, who wrote, “Like Reagan, the president has found a way to change the world without putting boots on the ground.”
WAR COULD LAST LONGER, SAYS TRUMP
Speaking on Monday from the White House, Donald Trump had said that the plan for Iran war initially “projected four to five weeks”, adding the US military has the “capability to go far longer than that”. The US outlined its justification for going to war against Iran alongside Israel, claiming that Iran posed “grave threats” to Washington and its interests.
In a separate overnight social media post, Trump went further, saying the US had enough stockpiled weapons to sustain long-term operations. He described a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and said wars could be fought “forever” and “very successfully” using existing reserves.
“The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!” he wrote.
Trump, who began his second term last year, campaigned on avoiding new wars and prioritising economic issues. He has previously criticised US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With inputs from agencies
