President Donald Trump signaled even more expansive ambitions and longevity for his attacks on Iran that have resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
He previously outlined his plan for regime change, calling on the Iranian people early Saturday to overthrow their government once bombs stop falling. He also vowed to cripple Iran’s nuclear, ballistic-missile, and military capabilities.
But in a social media post Saturday afternoon, Trump suggested his objectives may not stop there.
“Bombing to continue throughout the week — The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” he wrote.
Trump also confirmed Khamenei’s death, calling it “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”
Axios reported earlier that Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike, with an official saying his body was recovered from his destroyed compound.
That’s after Israel has been focused on decapitation strikes, while the U.S. has focused mostly on military targets, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
ISW also cited reports that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s defense minister, intelligence chief, and defense council secretary were killed.
The death of Khamenei, who assumed power after the death of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, could produce a succession crisis.
While Iran’s constitution stipulates that a council of clerics must choose a new supreme leader, Israel’s decapitation strikes have left the country’s leadership in disarray, Axios said.
Anticipating attacks on Iran’s top leaders, the regime reportedly flattened the military’s chain of command to push decision making to lower-ranking officers. That likely helped quicken Iran’s retaliation compared to the lag seen after the immediate outbreak of the 12-day war last June.
“Iran has responded to the US and Israeli strikes with unprecedented speed,” ISW said, pointing out that 35 missiles have been launched at Israel so far.
Iran has also sent missiles and drones across the region, targeting U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf, including in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait.
But Khamenei’s death doesn’t necessarily mean a new regime will take over, as other hard-liners in Iran could take his place, especially with the IRGC remaining as a center of political power.
Still, with Iran’s dictator apparently out of the picture, it could hasten the end of combat operations, even if the regime isn’t overthrown.
Trump told Axios on Saturday that he has several “off ramps,” though one option would involve additional attacks in the future.
“I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs],” he said. “In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack.”
