President Trump said he has not ruled out sending troops into Iran, as the war begun this weekend continues to widen and threaten to engulf the Middle East.
"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it," Trump told the New York Post on Monday. "I say 'probably.'"
The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began on February 28. The nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and key leaders within the regime were killed within the first minutes of the assault.
In Kuwait, friendly fire took out three U.S. fighter jets, but the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense said all of the crew members survived the mishap. Kuwait is one of many nations in the Middle East who have faced drone and missile fire from Iran.
Qatar reported that it had shot down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, according to the Associated Press.
The wire service reported that the Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes in Iran have killed at least 555 people. Meanwhile, in Israel, 11 people have died thus far in retaliatory strikes. where several locations were hit by Iranian missiles, 11 people were killed.
Among Iran's targets have been oil and gas infrastructure in the region. The AP reported that QatarEnergy was stopping production of liquefied natural gas. The conflict also spiked European natural gas prices by 40 percent. The AP reported that oil refinery infrastructure in Saudi Arabia also had come under attack.
Trump has cited a myriad of reasons for the assault, including Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. CNN reported that among the administration's justification for action was that Iran planned to launch missiles against U.S. bases in the region. During a press briefing Monday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed, "We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it."
However, CNN reported that Pentagon briefers provided no intelligence that any such attack on U.S. forces was imminent.
As of 7:30 a.m. EST, four U.S. service member have died
"The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification," U.S. Central Command posted on X.
