Ahead of strikes, Trump told Iran attack was high risk, high reward
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Smoke rising from an area in the direction of Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, which houses foreign forces including the US, on Feb 28.
PHOTO: AFP
- Trump launched US strikes on Iran, viewing it as a "high-risk, high-reward" mission for the future and to end Iran's "bloodshed and mass murder."
- US's "Operation Epic Fury" targeted Iran's military and leaders, despite warnings of massive Iranian retaliation against US bases and troops, and limited air defences.
- Experts warn the unpredictable conflict is a "major gamble." Iran retains significant retaliation capabilities, including missiles and cyber warfare, posing ongoing threats.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - Ahead of the US attack on Iran, President Donald Trump received briefings that not only delivered blunt assessments about the risk of major US casualties but also touted the prospect of a generational shift in the Middle East in favour of US interests, a US official told Reuters.
The launch of what the Pentagon called “Operation Epic Fury”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the briefers described the operation to the president as a high-risk, high-reward scenario.
Mr Trump himself appeared to echo that sentiment when he acknowledged the stakes at the onset of the operation, saying “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost.”
“But we’re doing this not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,” Mr Trump said, in a video address announcing the start of major combat operations.
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder... We’re not gonna put up with it any longer.”
The briefings from Mr Trump’s national security team help explain how the president decided to pursue arguably the riskiest US military operation since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Ahead of the strikes, Mr Trump received multiple briefings from officials including CIA director John Ratcliffe, US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On Feb 26, Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads US forces in the Middle East as the head of Central Command, flew to Washington to join discussions in the White House Situation Room.
A second US official said that prior to the strikes, the White House had been briefed on a number of risks associated with operations against Iran, including retaliatory strikes on multiple US bases in the region by Iranian missiles that could overwhelm defences, as well as Iranian proxies attacking US troops in Iraq and Syria.
The official said that despite the massive military buildup by the US, there were limits to the air defence systems that had been rushed into the region.
Experts caution that the unfolding conflict could take dangerous turns and the first official said the Pentagon’s planning did not appear to guarantee the outcome of any conflict.
Mr Trump called on Iranians to topple the government but that is easier said than done, said Dr Nicole Grajewski, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“The Iranian opposition is pretty fragmented. It’s unclear what the population is willing to do in terms of rising up,” Dr Grajewski said.
Both US officials requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the internal discussions.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
Trump’s sweeping goals
In the weeks leading up to the attack, Mr Trump ordered a major military buildup
An Israeli official said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were both targeted but the result of the strikes was not clear.
Mr Trump made clear on Feb 28 that his objectives in Iran were sweeping, saying he would end the threat posed by Tehran to the United States and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. To accomplish this, he outlined plans to lay waste to much of Iran’s military as well as deny it the ability to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground... We’re going to annihilate their navy,” he said. “We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack our forces.”
Mr Trump’s decision demonstrates an increasing risk appetite, far greater than when he ordered US special operations forces into Venezuela in January to seize that country’s president
The unfolding campaign against Iran is also riskier than when Mr Trump ordered US forces to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened all US bases and interests in the region and said Iran’s retaliation would continue until “the enemy is decisively defeated.”
Experts warn that Iran has many options for retaliation, including missile strikes but also drones and cyber warfare.
Mr Daniel Shapiro, a former senior Pentagon official for Middle East issues, said that despite the US and Israeli strikes, Tehran would still be capable of causing some pain.
“Iran has many more ballistic missiles that can reach US bases than the US has interceptors... some Iranian weapons will get through,” said Mr Shapiro, also a former US ambassador to Israel.
“(The strikes are) a major gamble.” REUTERS
