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President Donald Trump will travel to Delaware on Saturday to attend the dignified transfer of the six U.S. service members killed during the conflict in the Middle East. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump will “pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time.”It’s a solemn reminder of what is at stake as the war with Iran reaches the one-week mark. The U.S. and Israel launched the massive military operation, called Operation Epic Fury, last Saturday. The conflict has since ricocheted across the Middle East, with damage reported in nearly every country. “Today Iran will be hit very hard,” Trump wrote on social media Saturday. Trump also suggested more officials would be targeted after Iran rejected his demand for an “unconditional surrender.”“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump wrote. Trump was responding to earlier comments from Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. In a video address posted on Saturday, Pezeshkian said the U.S. demand for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave.” Pezeshkian also apologized for Iran’s attacks on neighboring countries in the region. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy,” Pezeshkian said. Both sides continued attacks overnight Saturday. At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, with more than 200 dead in Lebanon and around a dozen dead in Israel, according to officials in those countries. As of Friday, U.S. Central Command said it had struck more than 3,000 targets, with at least 43 Iranian ships either damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, Trump met with defense contractors about speeding up the production of American weapons. The State Department also approved the sale of 1,000-pound bombs to Israel on an emergency basis, bypassing the normal congressional review process. Trump’s stated goals include destroying Iran’s navy, its missile program, and its nuclear capabilities. His administration has said that its focus is not regime change, but Trump said Thursday that he wants to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. has “more than enough” in its weapons stockpiles to “achieve the objectives of Operation Epic Fury and beyond.” The president has said the operation could last more than a month.Meanwhile, the conflict is taking an economic toll, including at the gas pump. By early Saturday, the average price of regular gasoline in the U.S. had surged to $3.41 per gallon, up from $2.98 one week prior, according to AAA. That’s largely due to traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments. The Trump administration announced a plan Friday to deploy maritime reinsurance to get traffic flowing again. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the administration will also offer naval escorts to ships if necessary. He said they are considering easing more sanctions on Russian oil to bridge supply gaps. Democrats criticized the Trump administration for “compounding the affordability crisis” and giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a financial boost as he continues to wage war on Ukraine.It comes as the Associated Press reports that Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region. A Fox News reporter attempted to ask about those reports at an unrelated event Friday about college sports. “I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump will travel to Delaware on Saturday to attend the dignified transfer of the six U.S. service members killed during the conflict in the Middle East.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump will “pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time.”
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It’s a solemn reminder of what is at stake as the war with Iran reaches the one-week mark.
The U.S. and Israel launched the massive military operation, called Operation Epic Fury, last Saturday. The conflict has since ricocheted across the Middle East, with damage reported in nearly every country.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard,” Trump wrote on social media Saturday. Trump also suggested more officials would be targeted after Iran rejected his demand for an “unconditional surrender.”
“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump wrote.
Trump was responding to earlier comments from Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. In a video address posted on Saturday, Pezeshkian said the U.S. demand for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave.” Pezeshkian also apologized for Iran’s attacks on neighboring countries in the region.
“From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy,” Pezeshkian said.
Both sides continued attacks overnight Saturday. At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, with more than 200 dead in Lebanon and around a dozen dead in Israel, according to officials in those countries.
As of Friday, U.S. Central Command said it had struck more than 3,000 targets, with at least 43 Iranian ships either damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, Trump met with defense contractors about speeding up the production of American weapons. The State Department also approved the sale of 1,000-pound bombs to Israel on an emergency basis, bypassing the normal congressional review process.
Trump’s stated goals include destroying Iran’s navy, its missile program, and its nuclear capabilities. His administration has said that its focus is not regime change, but Trump said Thursday that he wants to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. has “more than enough” in its weapons stockpiles to “achieve the objectives of Operation Epic Fury and beyond.” The president has said the operation could last more than a month.
Meanwhile, the conflict is taking an economic toll, including at the gas pump.
By early Saturday, the average price of regular gasoline in the U.S. had surged to $3.41 per gallon, up from $2.98 one week prior, according to AAA.
That’s largely due to traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments. The Trump administration announced a plan Friday to deploy maritime reinsurance to get traffic flowing again.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the administration will also offer naval escorts to ships if necessary. He said they are considering easing more sanctions on Russian oil to bridge supply gaps.
Democrats criticized the Trump administration for “compounding the affordability crisis” and giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a financial boost as he continues to wage war on Ukraine.
It comes as the Associated Press reports that Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region. A Fox News reporter attempted to ask about those reports at an unrelated event Friday about college sports.
“I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else,” Trump said.
