The White House on Tuesday reiterated its objectives for its operations against Iran and said that “Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender”. It said that the United States is focusing
on dismantling Tehran’s missile capability, crippling its navy and preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Speaking about ‘Operation Epic Fury’ launched against Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump will determine if the objectives have been fully realised and if “Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender, whether they say it or not”.
She said the initial timeline for the operation was four to six weeks, and its objective is also to weaken the “evil terrorist proxies in the region”.
On February 28, the US, along with Israel, launched joint strikes on Iran, however, Tehran’s speedy retaliation turned the attacks into a war situation that has now engulfed the entire Middle East region with several gulf countries now being involved in it.
Talking about the US operation on Iran, Leavitt said that Operation Epic Fury has delivered a major blow to Iran’s military capacity, striking 5,000 enemy targets so far.
She informed that the targets successfully destroyed over 50 Iranian naval vessels, including a major drone carrier ship. US’ strategic B-2 bombers have targeted deeply buried missile facilities using 2,000-pound penetrator bombs, she said.
Meanwhile, Leavitt said that the US has not ruled out the option of sending troops on the ground in Iran and added that Tehran’s retaliatory attacks are down more than 90 per cent since the start of the war.
Meanwhile, the White House also stressed that the United States would ensure the continued flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz.
140 US Service Members Wounded
Pentagon informed that around 140 US service members have been wounded during the first 10 days of sustained attacks linked to the American military campaign against Iran.
“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty. Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
