According to Axios, the US and Israel have discussed sending special forces into Iran to protect the nation’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. Such an operation would be taken into consideration at a later stage of the ongoing fight, according to four sources with knowledge of the negotiations mentioned by Axios. The action emphasises how crucial it is to pay attention to Iranian nuclear assets as tensions worsen. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has used social media to reiterate this strategic goal by threatening to kill anyone who targets American citizens.
US-Israel May Deploy Special Forces To Seize Iran’s Nuclear Sites And Uranium Stockpile, New Report Claims
The warning highlighted the administration’s unwavering position on national security and was issued in a post by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on X. “If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation, and we will kill you,” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was said to have said. A 21-second video clip that showed the military’s current reach was published to go along with this severe message. A number of “unclassified” pictures of cars and buildings being attacked and damaged by US soldiers during recent operations were featured in the video. Hegseth’s comments are consistent with previous assertions by US President Donald Trump, who claimed on Saturday that the US has effectively neutralised the whole Iranian leadership. The President described these military actions as the elimination of a major “cancer” from the world stage.
While heading to Miami on Air Force One, the President thought back on the week-old hostilities and remained optimistic about the campaign’s progress. “We’re winning the war by a significant margin. Their entire terrible empire has been destroyed by us. I have no doubt that it will go on for some time. The actual war is proceeding in an unbelievable manner. “It’s the best it can be,” Trump declared. The President stated that the operation had successfully destroyed Iran’s marine and aerial capabilities and gave a thorough summary of the strategic military victories made by American forces during his briefing. “We destroyed 44 ships in their (Iranian) fleet. We have destroyed every aircraft in their air force. The majority of their missiles have been destroyed,” he said. Trump added that the Iranian regime’s ability to carry out offensive operations has been significantly reduced. “As you can see, there are fewer missiles now. Additionally, we have targeted their production facilities where the missiles are manufactured. The President said, “We’ve hurt them where it hurts, including almost every type of leadership you can have; we’ve wiped out their drone capacity.
Trump On Reports of the Bombing of an Iranian school for girls
The President responded to reports of the bombing of an Iranian elementary school for girls amid the military victories. He emphatically rejected claims that the United States was to blame, blaming the incident on the “inaccuracy” of Iranian military equipment and the failure of Iranian weaponry. “No, I don’t think so. From what I’ve observed, Iran was responsible for that. We believe Iran was responsible because, as you are aware, their bombs are quite imprecise. They are completely inaccurate. Iran was responsible,” Trump declared. The President stressed that the Iranian armed forces were in danger of collapsing, but he declined to give a precise end date when asked about the initial six-week prediction for the military mission. “No matter how long it takes, I never project time. However, the Iranian military is virtually nonexistent. We have the potential to strike their military directly, but we may or may not do so. The US President declared, “We haven’t made that decision.”
The President again emphasised the significant harm done to the Iranian military’s industrial infrastructure. “The manufacturing sector has been severely impacted. We believe that’s because they don’t have much, as they’re only at around 9% of what they put out in the first two days. Additionally, we have destroyed almost 70% of the rockets and launchers. He clarified, “The launchers are a big deal, very expensive, and very hard to get.” Speaking beside the President, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that while the White House has the final say, a diplomatic breakthrough is still possible. “I believe there is. “I believe that will be up to the President,” Witkoff stated.
However, the envoy noted that past discussions had been hindered by Tehran’s refusal to compromise. “But they didn’t seem to be very amenable in that first set of negotiations. You heard what I said. They said we have the inalienable right to enrich. They bragged about having 60 per cent enriched fuel, enough for 11 bombs. And they told me and Jared, we’re not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn’t take militarily. So you know, I think they’re going to need a change of attitude,” he added. These significant developments are the result of a joint US-Israel military operation on 28 February, which led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other high-ranking officials.
In the aftermath of that strike, Tehran initiated a major retaliatory campaign, launching drones and ballistic missiles at US assets and regional partners, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. This escalation has notably increased the danger to both local civilians and the expatriate population across West Asia. Simultaneously, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have announced that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted targeted strikes against multiple Iranian military assets in the capital city. In a post on X, the military official account stated: “STRUCK: Several Fuel Storage Complexes Belonging to the IRGC in Tehran.”
“Guided by IDF intelligence,” the operation focused on particular sites that the military designated as hubs for the flow of resources to different armed groups. The Israel Defence Forces reported that the “IAF struck these complexes, where the Iranian terrorist regime would distribute fuel to multiple military entities in Iran.” In reference to the mission’s effects, the military declared that “The strike significantly deepens the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime.” An explanatory graphic that identified a “fuel storage facility in Tehran used by the military forces of the Iranian terror regime” accompanied the announcement, emphasising the strategic significance of the targets chosen for the operation.
(With Inputs From ANI)
