"In an eight-minute address on Truth Social that amounted to a declaration of war, Trump also acknowledged the possibility of American casualties. Within three hours of the initial strike, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched ballistic missiles at four nearby U.S. bases, and the sound of air defenses shooting down missiles reverberated across the region."
"This time, Trump went much further, making clear his desire for a change in Iran's leadership for the first time in 47 years as well as for the elimination of its nuclear and ballistic-missile development programs. He is pursuing that war without congressional approval, with little appetite among his base for another U.S. regime-change operation in the Middle East."
"That leaves Trump in a position to claim personal credit for any successful parts of the mission-he said 'no president was willing to do what I am doing tonight'-but also singularly associated with whatever happens next in Iran and across the Middle East."
President Trump authorized military strikes on Iranian officials in Tehran, publicly declaring goals of forcing armed factions to disarm and inciting Iranian citizens to overthrow their government. This represents the first explicit call for regime change in 47 years and expands beyond previous June strikes focused on nuclear capabilities. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded within hours by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. bases across the region, including strikes in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, and Israel. Trump pursued this military action without congressional approval despite limited public support for Middle Eastern regime-change operations and regional allies' concerns about broader conflict escalation. The decision positions Trump personally responsible for both successes and consequences of the military campaign.
#iran-military-strikes #regime-change-policy #middle-east-escalation #ballistic-missile-response #presidential-war-powers
Read at The Atlantic
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