Donald Trump made a chilling declaration in the early hours of Saturday morning, declaring that Iran is no longer a ‘bully’ in the region, but the ‘loser of the Middle East.’
In just one week, tensions have dramatically risen in the region, starting with a joint military operation conducted by the US and Israel against Iran.
The strikes took out Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran retaliated by targeting US military bases in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The president has now vowed to ramp up attacks against Iran, declaring that: ‘Today Iran will be hit very hard!
‘Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.’
Trump boasted that Iran had been beaten ‘to hell’ and was forced to apologize to GCC countries for retaliatory strikes.
‘They [Iran] were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries,’ the president continued.
Trump also said he had been thanked for initiating the strikes. It’s unclear who the president was referring to.
Military strikes in the Middle East have been ongoing for the last week. Pictured above is the aftermath of an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday
Trump announced in a Truth Social post that Iran is no longer the ‘bully’ of the Middle East and will be ‘hit very hard’ on Saturday morning
The president promised to continue striking Iran as tensions escalate in the region. He’s pictured above at a roundtable discussion on Friday at the White House
Countries in the GCC, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan were hit with a barrage of missiles this past week.
Iranian leadership has said the strikes were intended for US military bases, and citizens of GCC countries were not the target of the operation.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to GCC countries in a video message on Saturday for the deadly drone and missile strikes.
‘I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,’ he said.
‘From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.’
Pezeshkian delivered the message next to a picture of Khamenei and claimed that Iran would halt strikes against Gulf states unless they were used as bases.
Despite the apology, the video was in no way a surrender, as the Iranian president vowed that the country’s enemies ‘must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their graves.’
Pezeshkian did not address Khamenei’s death, but added: ‘Our commanders, leaders and loved ones lost their lives due to the brutal aggression that took place, and our armed forces are heroes who gave their lives to defend our territorial integrity.’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf neighbors for military strikes targeting their countries as Trump has promised ‘complete destruction’ of Iran. Pictured above is smoke from an explosion in Tehran on Saturday
However, a statement issued by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) just hours after the video message claimed to have targeted bases in the UAE and Kuwait.
‘Should the previous hostile actions continue, all military bases and interests of criminal America and the fake Zionist regime on land, at sea, and in the air across the region will be considered primary targets and will come under the powerful and crushing strikes of the mighty armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,’ the IRGC threatened.
Qatar also confirmed it had intercepted an Iranian missile and issued a ‘heightened’ security alert to citizens.
As Trump and Pezeshkian issue defiant messages, hope for an end to military activity in the area has dwindled.
Warfare has continued in the area over the last week, as Israel led a fleet of 80 fighter jets in the early hours of Saturday morning against Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, one of two that serve the capital.
Israel’s broad military operations did not end there. The Israel Defense Forces have intensified attacks in Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israeli military forces launched a raid in eastern Lebanon, which resulted in at least 41 deaths, the New York Times reported, citing Lebanese officials and state media.
Iran also hit back on Saturday, with air raid alerts and explosions heard above Jerusalem as well as Gulf cities Dubai, Manama and near Riyadh – where Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired at an air base housing US military personnel.
Video footage in Dubai also revealed a potential drone strike near Dubai International Airport, a major hub for international travel.
The ongoing air strikes closed airspace over the Middle East over the weekend. Airports have gradually resumed flight operations, but travel remains a headache for international passengers. The State Department is continuing to coordinate travel for Americans abroad.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they had targeted the oil tanker Prima in the Gulf as it attempted to cross the narrow Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global shipping that Iran has effectively closed.
It has been reported that at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel. Six US troops have also been killed.
