Roving Periscope: The US, Iran on the same page—war may intensify!

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: For once, both the US and Iran found themselves on the same page on Thursday—they each declared that their 34-day-long ongoing war will continue.

As usual, US President Donald Trump reiterated victory and, at the same time, said the war will continue. In response, Iran said the conflict will continue until the US faces “permanent humiliation,” and “surrenders,” the media reported.

Trump said Washington is “close to achieving” its military objectives and warned of intensified attacks in the coming weeks if what he claimed “ongoing talks” fail.

In a strongly-worded response to Trump’s remarks during his first address to the nation since the current war started with a US-Israeli coordinated airstrike of Iran on February 28, the Iranian military warned that the conflict will go ahead until Washington faces “permanent humiliation, regret, and surrender,” according to the Iranian state media outlet, Press TV.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran rejected the US President’s claims about damaging Iran’s military infrastructure and capabilities, and asserted that US intelligence about Iran’s military strength remains “incomplete.”

Washington is unaware of the Islamic Republic’s “vast strategic capabilities,” the spokesman said, dismissing Trump’s claims of “dramatically curtailing” Tehran’s ability to launch missiles and drones.

“Your intelligence on our military power and equipment is incomplete. You know nothing of our vast strategic capabilities. Do not assume you have destroyed our strategic missile production sites, long-range attack and precision drones, modern air-defence systems, electronic warfare, or special equipment.

“Such assumptions will only deepen the quagmire you have fallen into. The sites you think you hit are insignificant; our strategic military production takes place at locations you do not know about and will never reach. Do not bother trying to count our missiles, drones, and strategic systems; you will be wrong and achieve nothing,” Press TV quoted the spokesman as saying.

The Central Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters is Iran’s highest operational command unit that coordinates operations between the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

The spokesperson also accused the US of initiating aggression and vowed continued retaliation.

“You must pay for the aggression you started against our honourable, beloved, Muslim nation. This war will continue until you face permanent humiliation, regret, and surrender. Expect more crushing and devastating strikes from us in continuation of the severe blows you have already received,” Press TV said.

What did Trump say?

Iran’s strong response came after Trump who, during his first address to the nation since the commencement of hostilities against Iran, praised the American military for a “decisive” blow against the Islamic Republic, and claimed that the campaign’s core objective was nearing completion.

The US President boasted that Iran’s maritime and aerial capabilities have been systematically dismantled and added that the country’s broader military infrastructure has been severely diminished.

“Iran’s navy is gone, its air force is in ruins, and its leaders, most of them terrorists, are now dead,” he declared.

Giving details of the strikes, the President stated that Tehran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed.”

He noted that “weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces – very few of them left” and claimed that the United States is “winning bigger than ever before.”

Trump said Washington is “close to achieving” its military objectives and warned of intensified attacks in the coming weeks if ongoing talks fail.

“We are on track to complete all the objectives. We are going to hit them hard in the next two to three weeks and send back to stone age where they belong,” Trump said.

Talks with Iran, he insisted, were underway but warned that the US would step up strikes if no agreement is reached. He indicated that critical infrastructure, including electric power facilities, could be targeted in Iran more aggressively.

At the same time, he noted that the US had so far avoided hitting Iran’s oil infrastructure, calling it the “easiest target”, as such strikes would eliminate any chance of Iran rebuilding itself.

He reiterated that any attempt by Iran to revive its nuclear programme would invite further military action. According to him, previously targeted nuclear sites would take months to recover and remain under close US surveillance.

Trump said diplomacy had been his preferred route but accused Iran of rejecting multiple proposals. He also alleged that Tehran had been expanding its ballistic missile stockpile and moving closer to developing nuclear weapons capable of reaching the US and Europe.

Iran’s military 

Detailing the progress of the military operation, named as Operation Epic Fury, Trump said Iran’s military capabilities had been “significantly weakened” over the past four weeks.

He claimed that Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones had been “dramatically curtailed”, with weapons factories and rocket launchers being destroyed. He asserted that the Islamic country’s navy had been neutralised, its air force severely weakened, and key leaders eliminated. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he added, was “being decimated.”

Trump said these actions were aimed at dismantling Iran’s ability to threaten the US, support terrorist groups, and rebuild its nuclear capabilities.

He also spoke about energy markets, stating that oil and gas prices could ease once the conflict ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens. “Buy oil from America, we have plenty of it,” he said, adding that the US is becoming less dependent on West Asian energy supplies.

While Trump said the operation’s core objectives were ‘nearing completion,’ he did not specify a clear timeline for ending the campaign, stating only that it could conclude “pretty quickly”.

The mission in Iran would be completed “very fast.”