Featured Image Credit: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Israel, Iran
Phoebe Tonks
Donald Trump has boldly declared his war with Iran is ‘very complete, pretty much’ while doubling down on claims that the divisive nation was ‘going to attack’ the US within as little as a week.
Speaking to CBS News about the ongoing conflict, Trump told the network on Monday: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. If you look, they have nothing left.
“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force. Wrapping up is all in my mind.”
The president also addressed the war in a later speech to Republicans at Mar-a-Lago, when he told attendees: “We took a little excursion, because we felt we had to get rid of some people.
“We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough. We go forward, more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this danger once and for all.”
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Doubling down on the reasons behind his decision to attack Iran on February 28, Trump continued: “I thought they were going to attack us. They did something very foolish, very stupid.They attacked their neighbours.”
“Their neighbours were fairly neutral, they weren’t going to attack," he went on. "[Attacking neighbouring countries] had the reverse effect, the neighbours came onto our side.
“They were strong and smart but they got attacked. When I first heard it I said ‘someone made a mistake’. But there was no mistake.”
Will military operations being touted as successful, many Americans have been left wondering if this means the end of the war is now in sight, when asked directly if the war could end as early as this week, Trump refused to make any promises but did say: “No… but soon, I think soon, very soon.”
He added: “We’re protecting the world from these lunatics very successfully.”
The comments follow ten days of intense bombardment of Tehran’s navy, air force and communications, which have decimated much of Iran’s military capabilities, however this also comes at a heartbreaking cost of roughly 1255 lives, mostly civilians.
Iranian Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian revealed the devastating number of people he claimed had been killed during an Al Jazeera interview on Monday, in which he said at least 1,255 have been killed in Iran, including 200 children and 11 healthcare workers.
UNILAD has so far been unable to independently verify this number.
Additionally, he also alleges that more than 12,000 people have been wounded in the past 10 days, mostly from burn and crush injuries.
29 clinical facilities are understood to have been significantly damaged during the bombardments, with 10 forced to close.
Additionally, 52 health centres, 18 emergency services locations and 15 ambulances also have been damaged or destroyed, he said.
One of the biggest health risks to the civilian population follows an Israeli strike on a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran, which the country claimed were used 'to operate military infrastructure'.
These attacks sparked large fires as they hit the Aghdasieh oil warehouse, the Tehran refinery and the Shahran oil depot, causing huge plumes of toxic smoke to fill the air, which pose a deadly health risk to vulnerable populations such as the children, elderly or sick.
There are also fears of the ongoing impact even after the conflict eventually draws to a close, as acid rain 'would pollute the soil and have a lasting environmental impact', added Jafarian.
“This is not a military issue… This is not a military target,” he argued.