Middle East Crisis Iran War

Trump: We haven't even started to strike Iran seriously

Donald Trump says the US is "beating the crap out of Iran" during the ongoing military operation, but that the US military has more to give.

– We haven’t even started to hit them seriously. The big wave hasn’t even come yet. The big bang is coming soon, he says in an interview with CNN.

He also says he is surprised that Iran’s retaliatory attacks have been directed at Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The countries initially did not want to be involved but are now “insisting” on striking back against Iran, according to Trump.

Trump also elaborates on his comments from the other day that the US had killed nearly 50 Iranian leaders in one attack.

– They got a little arrogant when they gathered in one place. They thought they were undetectable. They weren’t. We were surprised by that.

World Reactions
Starmer: Stands by my decision on the Iran war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands by the decision not to participate in the US and Israel's attacks on Iran, despite Trump's criticism, he says, according to Sky News.

He also defends the decision to let the US use British air bases for "defensive operations".

- It is not possible to shoot down every Iranian missile and drone when they are fired. The only way is to destroy them at the source, where they are stored or fired.

Britain only allows the US to use the bases for this specific purpose, Starmer adds.

Trump previously told The Telegraph that he is "very disappointed" with Starmer because the British delayed letting the US use their air bases.

International Reactions
Pete Hegseth: “The Goal Was Not Regime Change”

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says at a press conference that the goal of the attacks on Iran was not regime change, but that the outcome was “regime change”.

– No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building project. No politically correct wars. We are fighting to win and are not wasting time or lives, says Hegseth.

He says the goal is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to knock out the country’s missile capabilities and navy.

– We will end this on US terms.

The mission assigned to the US military will take time to complete, says General Dan Caine at the same press conference.

– There will be further losses. These are extensive combat operations, he says.

 Situation in Iran
Iranian state media: Ali Khamenei's wife is dead

Mansoureh Khojasteh, who was married to Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died from injuries she sustained in the Israeli and US attacks on Tehran this weekend. This is reported by state Iranian media according to Reuters.

Ali Khamenei died in an attack on his bunker in the Iranian capital on Saturday. There have also been reports in Iranian state media that his daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law and son-in-law died in the attacks.

There are also reports that several of Khamenei's closest men have been killed by Israel and the US.

The Middle East crisis – it’s about the point

• The US and Israel attacked Iran early in the morning of Saturday, February 28, Swedish time.
• Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack. An interim council has taken over the government in Iran.
• Several high-ranking Iranian leaders, including the defense minister and the supreme commander of the Revolutionary Guard, are also reported to have been killed.
• Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US military bases in about a dozen countries in the Middle East.
• Both sides have promised to continue the attacks.
• The situation has resulted in severe disruptions to air traffic and oil trade.
• Sweden has expanded its travel advice to the region. Thousands of Swedes are stranded in the Middle East after the airspace was closed.