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American President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that American forces achieved “great success” in striking defensive systems and Iranian naval and air targets, noting that “almost everything was destroyed.”
His statements came from the Oval Office before his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, where he clarified that Berlin is assisting Washington in matters related to the Iranian file, pointing out that other European countries have also provided support to the United States. Trump said that Iran was preparing to attack the United States if it were not for the American initiative to attack, stressing that Israel did not pressure Washington to make this decision. He accused Tehran of targeting countries and civilian areas that have nothing to do with the war, stressing that American military operations will continue. He added that the strikes targeted new leaders in Iran, considering that “everyone who was proposed to take over the leadership was killed in the first and second attacks.” Commenting on the name of Reza Pahlavi, he believed that the assumption of authority by a figure from within Iran might be a better option. In an interview with Politico, Trump said that Iran has begun to lose vital weapons, indicating that he does not rule out working with some members of the regime who are still alive. He considered that Iranian military capabilities are gradually eroding, despite his expectation of continued missile launches “for some time.” He added that Tehran is also losing missile launch platforms as a result of the “widespread destruction,” while affirming that the United States possesses “unlimited quantities” of medium and heavy ammunition, and that defense companies are working at an accelerated pace within the framework of emergency orders. He also attacked his predecessor Joe Biden, saying that military stocks were not used during his tenure, and that his country is currently continuing to strengthen its defense production. Trump's talk about the depletion of Iranian weapons is relatively new, as it was not raised during the recent briefing of the Department of Defense, and no public position was issued on it from other officials in the administration. These statements coincided with the preparation of the United States and the countries of the Middle East for new waves of missile and drone attacks, after Iran responded to the strikes with a series of attacks since the outbreak of the clashes last Saturday. The American embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait announced the closure of their doors, while the State Department called on Americans in the region to leave, as the fighting entered its fourth day. Trump's talk about the decline in Iran's ability to respond comes in light of ongoing debate about the duration of operations, the size of the American military stockpile, the ultimate goal of the war, in addition to the future of leadership in Iran, which are files that are still under discussion even within the administration. Trump had hinted that the conflict could last several weeks, or end in days, depending on developments. The American president justified the war by saying that Iran was on the verge of possessing a nuclear weapon or developing the ability to attack the United States. In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson indicated that Israel intended to strike Iran in any case, which would have exposed Washington to a retaliatory attack. Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he is open to dealing with a new Iranian government if it results from the conflict, adding that the killing of 49 senior Iranian leaders opens the way for “new faces,” and that many are seeking to assume leadership positions in the next phase.
