Chronicles of American-Israeli aggression against Iran

Gen. Dan Caine (right) joins President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a news conference at Mar-a-Lago
Photo: AP

Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, has cautioned that a lack of munitions and support from allies could mean greater danger for U.S. troops, people familiar with the discussions say, ‘The Washington Post’ writes.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed his concerns at a White House meeting last week with Trump and his top aides, these people said, cautioning that any major operation against Iran will face challenges because the U.S. munitions stockpile has been significantly depleted by Washington’s ongoing defense of Israel and support for Ukraine. Caine’s remarks at the White House meeting have not been previously reported.

Separately, in Pentagon meetings, Caine also has raised concerns about the scale of any Iran campaign, its inherent complexity and the possibility of U.S. casualties, one person said. The general has said that any operation would be made all the more difficult by a lack of allied support, this person said, speaking like others on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Trump, after this article’s publication, posted on social media that it is “100% incorrect” that Caine is “against us going to War with Iran.” Trump said that the general would not like to see a military confrontation with Iran but that if it did happen, “it is his opinion that it will be something easily won.” The people who spoke to The Post about Caine’s thinking directly contradicted Trump’s optimistic characterization.

Multiple outlets, including Axios and The Washington Post, had reported that General Caine and other Pentagon officials raised serious concerns in internal meetings about the risks of a US military operation against Iran.

Citing several sources familiar with the discussions, Axios – which first reported the news – said that Caine was one of several people within Trump's inner circle who were urging the president to proceed cautiously.

Trump seeks swift end to Iran operation

On the eve of the strike on Iran, U.S. officials envisioned a four- to five-day operation that would return a weakened Tehran to the negotiating table. According to one source, an American official conveyed an even more immediate proposal. Through a mediator, apparently Italy, he suggested reaching a ceasefire agreement today or tomorrow. Iran rejected the idea outright, ‘Ynetnews’ reports from Israel.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. Also killed at the outset of the operation were Iran’s defense minister, the chief of staff and the commander of the Revolutionary Guard.

The summary of Operation Rising Lion showed that the Iranian regime knows how to survive the loss of its top figures.

From an American perspective, this is a war of choice. Iran did not pose a direct threat to the United States. Even its nuclear project does not necessarily constitute grounds for war. Trump has come to terms with North Korea’s nuclear weapons, let alone those of India and Pakistan.

The attack on Iran is highly unpopular in the U.S., both among Trump's critics and his staunch supporters. Until recent days, it was not even on the public agenda. The decision to strike Iran is his way of declaring, I am MAGA, I restored America’s greatness.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the current operation marks an unprecedented peak in the U.S.-Israel alliance. That is true in terms of military cooperation. It is not true in a broader sense, because the alliance is not between Israel and America as a whole but between Israel and the sitting president.

Israel is portrayed as the country that pushed America into a war that was not its own, and it even boasts of that role. Israel may be benefiting from an emboldened Trump, but it risks alienating America in the process.

Trump is dissatisfied with Secretary of War Hegseth’s military actions in Iran
Photo: publics

The meanness of the Americans – the Geneva talks were intended to let time pass until the new strike

One Israeli official said the Geneva talks were intended to let time pass until the new strike date — keeping the Iranians believing diplomacy was still Trump's primary path, Axios reports.

Trump's team, another U.S. official, said was "very explicit about" using military force if the Iranians didn't take the deal.

The bottom line: The Iranians rejected the offer. Kushner and Witkoff reported back to Trump, who then set the wheels of war in motion.

Crazy Europeans are ready to get into a war against Iran

Germany, France and Britain condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region on Saturday, saying Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes and resume negotiations.

"We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms," French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement, Reuters reports.

The leaders said they had consistently urged Iran to end its nuclear programme, curb its ballistic missile program, refrain from its destabilizing activity in the region and cease appalling violence and repression against its own people.

Coalition against Iran. They have nothing to do except… War
Photo: Reuters

France, Germany and the UK said they were ready to defend their interests and those of its allies in the Gulf if necessary by taking "defensive action" against Iran, ‘France24’ quotes.

"Iran's reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region," the statement added.

"We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately.

"We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source," said the statement.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei's killing a "declaration of war against Muslims" and warned: "Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US channel ABC News on Sunday: "We are defending ourselves whatever it takes, and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people."

Americans are already worried about the lack of air defense and missile defense systems

When the U.S. military’s top general laid out the risks to President Trump of launching a major and extended attack on Iran, one of the issues he flagged was America’s stockpile of munitions, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ notes.

Now that is being put to the test, as the U.S. races to destroy Iran’s missile and drone force before it runs out of interceptors to fend off Tehran’s retaliation, current and former officials and analysts say.

The precise size of the U.S. stock of air-defense interceptors — what the Pentagon calls magazine depth — is classified. But repeated conflicts with Iran and its proxies in the Middle East have been eating into the supply of air defenses in the region.

The continuing air campaign against Iran doesn’t appear to have featured U.S. long-range antiship missiles, which the U.S. would also need if there was a conflict with China.

One development that will ease the strain on the American supply of offensive munitions is the involvement of Israel’s military, which it said carried out the strikes against Iran’s military leadership.

Three US fighter jets accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, military says

Three US fighter jets crashed in Kuwait on Monday due to an “apparent friendly fire incident,” the US military said in a statement, CNN reports.

Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets down late Sunday evening ET time. All six crew members ejected safely, US Central Command said.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, according to CENTCOM. The jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

“During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the CENTCOM statement said.

European gas jumps 28% as Middle East war threatens global flows

European natural gas surged after fighting across the Middle East raised fears of a major disruption to global energy supplies, with traders watching how long ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will remain halted, Bloomberg reports.

Benchmark futures jumped as much as 28% — the biggest increase since August 2023 — after tankers largely stopped traversing the narrow waterway over the weekend. It’s a key shipping route for energy, carrying about a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas exports. Oil also rose sharply.

The situation risks the most serious shock to gas markets. While Asian countries buy most of the LNG shipped from the Middle East, any disruption would increase competition for alternative supplies — pushing up prices worldwide, including in Europe.

Europe is especially exposed. While the continent is nearing the end of winter and gas consumption is slowing, fuel inventories are unusually low. The region needs to import large volumes of LNG this summer to refill them ahead of next heating season, and “the next key question for traders will be how long the strait remains closed,” said Tom Marzec-Manser, director for Europe gas and LNG at Wood Mackenzie Ltd.

“The longer it takes to reopen the higher the price will go,” he said. US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the New York Times that he intends for the bombardment of Iran to continue for the next four to five weeks.

Gas prices in Europe are approaching $500 per 1,000 cubic meters.

QatarEnergy controls 18-20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade stopped her work.

Stocks slide as war in Iran lifts oil and dollar

Stocks fell and the dollar climbed as military strikes intensified across the Middle East, sending oil to its biggest surge in four years while stoking concern that inflation will accelerate. Bonds slipped. Gold briefly topped $5,400, Bloomberg writes.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.1%, following losses in Europe and Asia. Airlines and cruise operators sank while energy and defense shares jumped. The greenback outpaced major currencies as yields rose, with traders trimming bets on rate cuts. Debt sales were halted as credit-risk gauges soared.

As tanker traffic all but halted through the Strait of Hormuz and a big refinery in Saudi Arabia stopped, West Texas Intermediate crude soared 7.5% to $72 a barrel. Diesel futures jumped more than fifth at one point. In Europe, liquefied natural gas surged after Qatar halted output.

Israel and the US are killing Iranian children!

At least 153 people including children have died after a reported strike hit a school in southern Iran, according to Iranian officials.

The girls' school was located in Minab, near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base which has previously been a target.

At least 201 people have been killed in air strikes in Iran and 747 hurt since Saturday, the Iranian Red Crescent said.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian called the incident a "barbaric act" and "another black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors".

The BBC has verified clips of the aftermath of the explosion, which show smoke rising from a building as crowds gather nearby and people can be heard screaming in panic.

Iranian social media users have reacted with anger to news of the incident.

An Iranian living abroad who opposes military intervention in Iran commented: "The first victims of this war are 40 girls in Minab, hit by a missile attack. Is this the war you cheer for?"

The school tragedy took place as the US and Israel launched wave after wave of air strikes against targets in a number of Iranian cities throughout Saturday.