Deadly strikes continue across the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, triggering what appears to be a broadening war.More information is expected Monday morning as the Pentagon is scheduled to brief reporters for the first time since the war started.President Donald Trump returned to the White House from his home in Florida on Sunday night. Outside of a handful of brief phone interviews with select media outlets, the president has not spoken to reporters or publicly about the action he’s taken.The violence in the Middle East intensified on Sunday and early Monday, with new video showing U.S. Navy ships launching missiles and U.S. forces striking Iranian aircraft targets. Iranian-backed militias are widening the war in the region. Sunday night, black smoke and heavy flames were seen at Erbil Airport in Iraq, home to U.S. military assets, which was one of many targets struck. Diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran appears unlikely at this point, as a top Iranian security official said Iran will not negotiate with the U.S., following reporting that suggested the new regime wanted to start peace talks.The Department of Defense reported three U.S. service members have been killed and five were seriously injured, while others suffered concussions and shrapnel injuries. Six service members are said to be stable after ejecting from their fighter jets, shot down in an incident of friendly fire in Kuwait.In a video statement Sunday evening, Trump warned there will likely be more American casualties as the fighting continues. “Combat operations continue at this time in full force and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives,” Trump said.He told The New York Times this war could go on for four to five weeks.The big question many are asking is what the ultimate goal of this operation is: whether it is for regime change or to take out Iran’s nuclear program. More information could be revealed today after Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefs congressional leaders on Monday evening.A number of Democrats say they want Trump to make the case to the American people about why exactly the U.S. is launching attacks in the Middle East.”I think the President started a war of choice. There was no imminent threat to the United States,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.Most Democrats are also pushing their colleagues to force a bipartisan vote on a War Powers Resolution, which would require Trump to get approval from Congress before launching military attacks on Iran.Most Republicans are standing by Trump’s actions.”Iran has a vast missile arsenal, and that’s going to be the priority objective of this military campaign, destroying that arsenal that threatens American troops,” Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Rubio briefed the ‘Gang of Eight’ shortly before the strikes in Iran.Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
Deadly strikes continue across the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, triggering what appears to be a broadening war.
More information is expected Monday morning as the Pentagon is scheduled to brief reporters for the first time since the war started.
President Donald Trump returned to the White House from his home in Florida on Sunday night. Outside of a handful of brief phone interviews with select media outlets, the president has not spoken to reporters or publicly about the action he’s taken.
The violence in the Middle East intensified on Sunday and early Monday, with new video showing U.S. Navy ships launching missiles and U.S. forces striking Iranian aircraft targets.
Iranian-backed militias are widening the war in the region. Sunday night, black smoke and heavy flames were seen at Erbil Airport in Iraq, home to U.S. military assets, which was one of many targets struck.
Diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran appears unlikely at this point, as a top Iranian security official said Iran will not negotiate with the U.S., following reporting that suggested the new regime wanted to start peace talks.
The Department of Defense reported three U.S. service members have been killed and five were seriously injured, while others suffered concussions and shrapnel injuries. Six service members are said to be stable after ejecting from their fighter jets, shot down in an incident of friendly fire in Kuwait.
In a video statement Sunday evening, Trump warned there will likely be more American casualties as the fighting continues.
“Combat operations continue at this time in full force and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives,” Trump said.
He told The New York Times this war could go on for four to five weeks.
The big question many are asking is what the ultimate goal of this operation is: whether it is for regime change or to take out Iran’s nuclear program. More information could be revealed today after Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefs congressional leaders on Monday evening.
A number of Democrats say they want Trump to make the case to the American people about why exactly the U.S. is launching attacks in the Middle East.
“I think the President started a war of choice. There was no imminent threat to the United States,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.
Most Democrats are also pushing their colleagues to force a bipartisan vote on a War Powers Resolution, which would require Trump to get approval from Congress before launching military attacks on Iran.
Most Republicans are standing by Trump’s actions.
“Iran has a vast missile arsenal, and that’s going to be the priority objective of this military campaign, destroying that arsenal that threatens American troops,” Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Rubio briefed the ‘Gang of Eight’ shortly before the strikes in Iran.
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
