Trump posted on Truth Social around 5:30 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, stating that Khamenei has died. He also said, "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, military, and other security and police forces do not want to fight and are seeking exemptions from us," and "hope that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and police can peacefully merge with Iranian patriots, move forward together, and jointly promote this country's deserved great rejuvenation." He said, "This process should start very soon."
The Iranian officials confirmed to have died so far include:
• Ali Shamkhani, chief security advisor to Khamenei
• Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defense
• Mohammad Shahri, chief military secretary to Khamenei
• Salih Asadi, head of Iranian military intelligence
• Hussein Jabbar Ameliyan, chairman of Iran's nuclear weapons research institution SPND
• Reza Mozafari-Nia, former chairman of SPND
On Saturday, Trump said he had prepared several fallback plans for the "epic fury" operation. He said, "I can wage a prolonged war and take full control, or end it within two or three days and tell the Iranians, 'If you rebuild (nuclear and missile programs), then see you again in a few years.' " He predicted, "Regardless, they will need several years to recover from this strike." These remarks first truly revealed Trump's thoughts on how the strike operation would conclude, indicating that he remains open to diplomatic solutions, despite the breakdown of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva. Trump is facing domestic pressure, including from his MAGA base, urging him to avoid getting involved in a prolonged Middle East intervention.
Image source: network
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858432721646857/
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