US President Donald Trump has declared that the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran are intended to “eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” in a statement Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region.
Trump claimed that the ongoing military operation aims to protect Americans while targeting Iran’s missile capabilities, naval forces, and regional proxies.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,” he said. “We are going to annihilate their navy. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces.”
He added that the operation also seeks to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher in Washington reported that US sources described the strikes as aiming to “decapitate the Iranian regime,” with many attacks focused near locations where Ali Khamenei may be sheltering. Reports indicate that Khamenei has been moved to a secure location outside Tehran.
One of the areas targeted in the Iranian capital included the offices of the Supreme Leader, according to The Associated Press.
Analysts have cautioned that removing Iran’s leadership could produce unpredictable outcomes, as there is no guarantee a pro-US government would emerge.
Meanwhile, Iran has promised a “crushing retaliation,” heightening concerns of a broader regional conflict.
