President Donald Trump is weighing in on the likelihood of the Iran war ending soon, Tehran sees a toxic rainfall that could cause severe skin and lung afflictions for residents after Israel struck local fuel depots, and Iran warns of “uncontrollable consequences” should Trump follow through on his threat to target groups of people not previously considered fair game. Here is the latest on the Israeli-U.S. war on Iran.
Trump says Iran war could be ‘almost over’ as strikes continue
Trump said March 9 that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran could soon be nearing its end, even as U.S. military officials signaled that operations are still ongoing.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump told CBS News in a phone interview. “[Iran has] no navy, no communications, they've got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones.”
“If you look, they have nothing left,” he added. “There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
NBC News, citing Iran’s Red Crescent Society, reported that more than 1,200 people have been killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran. Thirteen have been killed in Israel by Iranian retaliatory attacks, and seven American military personnel have been killed in action.
Speaking at a Republican policy conference in Florida March 9, Trump said the U.S. “took a little excursion” in Iran to “get rid of some evil.” He added that it’s “going to be a short-term excursion” and noted that the U.S. military has destroyed about 46 Iranian navy ships.
When asked how he squared War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks that the campaign was just getting started, Trump said, “Well, I think you could say both. It’s the beginning of building a new country."
“We could call it a tremendous success right now. And we leave here. I could call it, or we could go further, and we’re going to go further. But the big risk on that war has been over for three days. We wiped them out the first in the first two days. When you think about it, it’s incredible,” Trump said.
Earlier, Trump had told The Times of Israel that the timing of ending the war would be a “mutual” decision between himself and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his March 8 interview with the outlet, Trump said the two leaders were working together because “Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it.”
“We’ve been talking,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account.”
Trump says he is ‘nowhere near’ ordering US troops on ground, discusses new Iranian leader
In a March 9 interview with the The New York Post, Trump said he is “nowhere near” ordering U.S. troops into Iran. He also said during the interview that he is “not happy with” Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts to replace his late father, who was killed in the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. When asked about his plans for the younger Khamenei, Trump said, “I’m not going to tell you.” Trump had earlier said he wanted to be personally involved in the selection of Iran’s next leader. Read more from The New York Post here.
Trump and Putin discuss Iran conflict
Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin March 9 about the war in Iran. The call came shortly after Putin announced his “unwavering support” for the Iranian regime and congratulated Khamenei on becoming the country’s new leader. Speaking to reporters shortly after the call, Trump said it was “very good.” Read more from FOX News here.
Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ over new targets
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X March 9 that any U.S. attacks on residential areas or civilians would trigger “uncontrollable consequences.” His warning came after Trump said on Truth Social March 7 that the U.S. was seriously considering striking “areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time” because of Iran’s “bad behavior.”
Toxic rain reported in Tehran after Israeli strikes on oil facilities
Iran’s capital was engulfed in thick black smoke March 8 after Israeli strikes on Tehran’s oil facilities reportedly led to toxic “acid rain.” Iran’s Red Crescent Society cautioned that the rainfall could cause chemical burns and lung damage due to hydrocarbon compounds and sulfur oxides. Read more from The New York Post here.
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