Middle East on Edge: Iran's Retaliation Plans, and Trump’s Ultimatum
Israel launched a series of targeted strikes against Iran's air defense systems, missile launchers, and senior leadership positions, raising fears of a broader regional escalation as President Donald Trump signaled that the United States may take further action.
Preemptive Strikes Target Iran's Military and Leadership
According to regional sources, Israeli strikes focused on air defense assets, missile launch platforms, and senior Iranian officials, including Ali Khamenei, the defense minister, the chief of the general staff, the intelligence chief, and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The objective reportedly aimed to slow Iran's decision-making process and disrupt its chain of command.
Before the operation began, the Central Intelligence Agency assessed that even if Ali Khamenei were eliminated, a more radical figure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would likely replace him.
Sources suggest that these initial Israeli strikes may precede a heavier phase of the campaign. American strategic bombers could join the operation, as the anticipated large-scale strike phase had not yet begun and was expected to unfold overnight.
Trump: 'They Never Wanted a Deal'
President Donald Trump told Israel's Channel 12 that Iran repeatedly approached the brink of a deal only to retreat at the last moment.
"They kept coming close to a deal and then backing away. I concluded they never really wanted an agreement,” Trump said.
He added that he instructed his team to compile a list of Iranian attacks over the past 25 years.
"Every month they were doing something bad — blowing something up and killing someone,” he said.
Trump argued that without the June strike known as Operation "Midnight Hammer,” Iran would already possess nuclear weapons.
He also described a "good conversation” with Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that "we are on the same wavelength.” He outlined two possible paths forward: continue the campaign and "take control of everything,” or conclude the operation within days while warning Iran against rebuilding its capabilities, noting that reconstruction would take years.
Iran Threatens Regional and US Targets
Iranian officials signaled readiness to escalate. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that it would intensify attacks on enemy military targets overnight and target military, economic, and commercial vessels using drones.
"We will carry out more intense attacks on enemy military targets during the night and destroy military, economic, and commercial ships belonging to the enemy with drones,” the Guard Corps stated.
An American source told Reuters that President Trump received pre-attack briefings warning of the risk of significant American casualties in the Middle East. The briefings also suggested that the strike could trigger long-term geopolitical shifts that would favor American interests for generations.
Amid reports that Iran's supreme leader may have been injured, the outlet Al-Mayadeen claimed that Ali Khamenei, as during the previous 12-day war, remains inside the operational command center and directs combat operations. Analysts urge caution regarding these claims.
The director of the office of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq's Maysan province denied reports that the group's headquarters in the province had suffered any strike or attack.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Al Jazeera that any source of attack against Iran would become a legitimate target.
"Our strikes against American bases in the region do not contradict our friendship with countries. All American and Zionist interests in the region will become targets of our attacks,” the spokesperson said.
