President Donald Trump said American forces are “ahead of the game plan” in a sweeping military campaign against Iran, even as global markets tumbled and energy prices surged amid fears of a prolonged regional war.
US forces pressed on with round the clock strikes, while Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iranian missile sites, air defence systems and command centres. Heavy explosions were reported in eastern Tehran as Israeli officials confirmed strikes targeting the capital.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said 50,000 troops, 200 jets and two aircraft carriers were engaged in “24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace.” More than 2,000 targets have been hit, he said, adding that Iranian air defences were severely degraded and 17 naval vessels destroyed.
“My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan,” Cooper said. “We’re focused on shooting things that can shoot us.”
Despite initial hopes in Washington for a swift collapse of Tehran’s clerical leadership, Iran continued retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and around the Gulf.
Iranian authorities said 787 people had been killed since hostilities began, including 165 girls reported killed when a school was struck on the first day of fighting.
Oil prices climbed sharply after Tehran claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil and gas shipments.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned vessels not to transit the waterway and claimed to have struck 10 tankers that ignored its warnings a claim that could not be independently verified.
Shipping disruptions forced production stoppages in countries from Qatar to Iraq, while more than 20,000 flights were cancelled as airlines scrambled to reroute aircraft and governments worked to evacuate stranded citizens.
Asian markets slumped on mounting fears of a drawn out conflict, with Seoul recording a record breaking crash. Gold and the US dollar surged on safe haven demand as investors fled riskier assets.
Inside Israel, air raid sirens sounded repeatedly as incoming Iranian missiles were intercepted. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said leaders in Tehran who seek Israel’s destruction were “an unequivocal target for elimination.”
The escalating conflict has sparked political tensions in Washington. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the scope and duration of the campaign, arguing the president should seek congressional approval before committing ground forces.
The US military confirmed four American soldiers had been killed, warning more casualties were possible.
European allies have kept their distance from direct involvement but pledged to help defend Western assets from Iranian retaliation.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean to secure maritime routes, while criticizing US and Israeli operations as being conducted outside international law.
Trump denied that Israel had pressured him into the campaign, saying he ordered the strikes after negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme stalled and he had “a feeling” Tehran was preparing to attack.
As the war enters its fifth day, uncertainty over Iran’s political future and the stability of global energy supplies continues to rattle markets raising the stakes both abroad and at home as Americans brace for the economic fallout.
Goodness Anunobi
About the Author
