Iran 'about to surrender': Trump claimed in G7 call as US death toll mounts
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran 'about to surrender': Trump claimed in G7 call as US death toll mounts")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
The American death toll since the start of the war on February 28 has climbed to 11 after US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the death of 4 service members on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump told Group of Seven (G7) leaders in a virtual meeting on Wednesday that “Iran is about to surrender,” Axios reported on Friday (Mar 13), citing three officials from G7 countries briefed about the contents of the call. Trump told US allies that he “got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all,” while making exaggerated claims about the success of the American military campaign in Iran during the G7 call.
According to Axios, Trump stated, “Nobody knows who the new leader is, so there is no one who can announce surrender.”
The US president described Iran’s leadership as “deranged scumbags” on Friday and said it was a great honour to kill them as the war in West Asia reached its 14th day, with the conflict gripping countries across the region and sparking a steep oil price hike and energy uncertainties across the world.
The American death toll since the start of the war on February 28 climbed to 11 after US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the death of 4 service members on Thursday when an American KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. According to the Pentagon, the number of injuries in Iran stands around 170.
The war in West Asia began after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation in Iran aimed at decapitating the leadership of the Islamic Republic and triggering regime change in Tehran.
The military strikes, codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the United States and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel, targeted key military installations, suspected nuclear sites, and top Iranian leadership, leading to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the strikes.
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However, on Thursday, in his maiden speech, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed revenge against the United States in retaliation for those killed in the conflict, including his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He issued a stern warning to Gulf Arab countries hosting American forces to close the bases immediately. He warned that Iran would continue to strike these installations if they were used for attacks against Iranian territory.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)
