Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, killed last weekend
US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby stated that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei died as a result of Israeli operations. However, Donald Trump admitted that he may have “forced Israel” to launch the military operation against Iran.
Questioned by the senator Jack Reedtop Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, this Tuesday, about why “the main objective of this campaign is attack and death of Khamenei and important regime leaders”, Elbridge Colby responded that these “are Israeli operations”.
The president Donald Trump had already hinted, on Saturday, that the US did not aim for regime change in Iran. However, after the death of the ‘ayatollah’ Khamenei still incited the Iranians to rebel.
Trump stated that most of the possible successorsconsidered by Washington to assume leadership of Iran, “they are already dead”admitting uncertainty in the current chain of command in Tehran.
The American head of state added that the worst scenario for Iran would be the rise of a leader “as bad” as ‘ayatollah’ Ali Khamenei. “We don’t want that to happen,” he said.
O US president ruled out the possibility of Reza Pahlavison of the former shah of Iran, assume leadership of the country in a possible regime change.
Trump said Pahlavi “seems like a very nice person,” but considered preferable for leadership to emerge from within the country. “Someone who is there, who is popular, if there is such a person”, he defended.
The American President also maintained that “practically everything was destroyed” in Iran, praising the performance of the United States armed forces.
“We have a great military, and they are doing a fantastic job,” Trump said, adding that he was “surprised” by the Iranian response.
For the North American head of state, Iran has attacked neighboring countries and “civil places, hotels and residential buildings”, which, from his perspective, demonstrates “the level of evil” of the Iranian authorities.
Trump admitted he could have “forced Israel” to attack Iran
“Considering the direction of negotiations, I think they would attack first. And I didn’t want that to happen. That’s why, perhaps he forced Israel. But Israel was ready. And so were we,” Trump explained.
Israel and the United States launched, on February 28, an offensive against Iran to “eliminate the imminent threats from the Iranian regime”, having killed the ‘ayatollah’ Ali Khamenei, and most of the senior officials of the Revolutionary Guard.
The US President stated that the operation aims to “eliminate imminent threats” from Iran, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahujustified joint action against what he classified as a “existential threat”.
Washington demands that Iran cease uranium enrichment and limit the range of its missiles, which Tehran refuses, accepting only cuts to its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of current sanctions.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the Israeli-American attacks have so far at least 787 dead. The United States Army confirmed the deaths of six American soldiers.
In turn, Iran launched retaliatory attacks with missiles and drones against Israel and US bases and other infrastructure in countries in the region: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and Cyprus.
Israel, where ten people were killed by Iranian missiles, also extended its attacks to Lebanon, against Hezbollah, and there at least 52 people died in a wave of bombings on the outskirts of Beirut, in the south of the country and in the east of the Bekaa Valley.
