Updates on Iran: Trump claims that "Operation Epic Fury" will last four to five weeks after six American service men were killed.
The attack on Tehran, which has retaliated with strikes around the Middle East, was justified by the president.
Over the weekend, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, and igniting a growing military confrontation that could lead to a protracted warfare in the area.
Since the start of the U.S.-Israeli attack, at least 550 people have died in Iran. Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli and American targets around the Middle East. The U.S. military reported on Monday that six American soldiers were killed during Iran's initial attacks in the area, two of whom were previously unaccounted for. So far, Israel has seen at least ten fatalities.
According to the U.S. Central Command, Kuwaiti soldiers also unintentionally shot down three American fighter jets during an Iranian counteroffensive. Each of the six crew members safely evacuated and is now in stable condition.
President Trump defended ordering the U.S. strikes without congressional approval at the White House on Monday, claiming that Iran's growing ballistic missile program and unwillingness to stop pursuing nuclear weapons constituted "an intolerable threat to the Middle East but also to the American people."
The U.S. military operation, known as "Operation Epic Fury," is expected to take four to five weeks, according to Trump, but the country is capable of lasting "much longer than that." In addition, the president expressed sorrow over the deaths of American service members and promised to carry out the mission in their memory. Trump stated that the American losses were anticipated and cautioned that more were "likely" in a video that was uploaded to Truth Social on Sunday.” "Trump stated, "Unfortunately, there will probably be more before it stops. That is the way it is." Additionally, he called on Iranians to take over their government after the U.S.-Israeli military action is concluded. He declared, "The hour of your emancipation is at hand." "For generations to come, this will likely be your only opportunity."
