Trump threatens "total destruction" of Iran amid doubts about his strategy

BarcelonaAs the first week of the war comes to a close, Donald Trump declared on Saturday that Iran "is the loser of the Middle East" and threatened the Persian nation with "total destruction," promising it "a massive blow" in a message on his social media platform, Truth Social. The statements were a response to a communiqué from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had announced an end to attacks against neighboring Arab monarchies and apologized. Instead of interpreting it as a gesture of de-escalation, Trump framed it as a sign of surrender. "Iran, which we will beat to hell, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle Eastern neighbors, and promised not to shoot them anymore," he wrote before predicting a "total collapse of the regime." Trump then asserted that 42 military ships, the Iranian air force, and the telecommunications system had been destroyed, and declared that he would not stop until he achieved the "unconditional surrender of the regime." Israel, for its part, has announced yet another wave of attacks against Iranian infrastructure. Pezeshkian retorted that "unconditional surrender is a dream that will lead them to their graves."

Pezeshkian's statements have sparked controversy in Iran: hardliners, including the Revolutionary Guard, the regime's praetorian guard, have reacted with outrage to the president's apology. His cabinet reiterated that they will respond to attacks launched from US bases in the region. The head of the judiciary, Mohseni-Eje'i, a hardliner on the interim governing council temporarily replacing the assassinated supreme leader, has denounced the complicity of neighboring countries in the US-Israeli attack. Iranian attacks continued in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Qatar. Iran, therefore, has continued its strategy of provoking maximum chaos by raising the cost of the conflict, increasing energy prices, disrupting global trade, and undermining confidence in the stability of a region crucial to the global economy. Kuwait's national oil company has announced a production cut, joining previous reductions by Iraq and Qatar, while the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The escalation has also continued in Lebanon, where Israel has intensified its bombing campaign against Beirut, on the southern border, and in the Bekaa Valley in the north. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has raised the death toll to 294, following an attack early this morning that left at least 41 dead. In this week of air combat, US and Israeli attacks have resulted in at least 1,332 civilian deaths in Iran and thousands of injuries, according to the Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeed Iravani. Explosions were also heard in several areas of Tehran, while Israel claims to have struck Iranian missile bases and command centers. The Iranian attacks left 10 dead in Israel and killed at least six US soldiers.

Doubts grow in the United States

The longer the war drags on, the more doubts arise in the United States that the Trump administration is truly capable of bringing about regime change in Iran. Washington Post A classified report from the National Intelligence Council was released Saturday predicting that a bombing campaign will fail to topple Iran's military and religious establishment. The report, prepared a week before Washington and Tel Aviv launched the war, outlines various succession scenarios stemming from both a limited campaign against Iran's leaders and a broader attack on its leadership and government institutions. In both cases, the intelligence services concluded that the Iranian clerical and military establishment would respond to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by following established protocols to preserve continuity of power. Following Khamenei's assassination last week, the Iranian government quickly appointed an interim leadership council composed of the Iranian president and other senior officials. Iran's Assembly of Experts could convene on Sunday to elect the country's new supreme leader to replace Khamenei, Ayatollah Mozafari, a member of the assembly, told Iranian media.

Meanwhile, growing concern over US arms stockpiles This has led some Democratic senators to warn that the intensive use of missiles and advanced weaponry could affect other countries that depend on US military support, such as Ukraine. In an interview with the magazine TimeConnecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said he was "deeply concerned about Ukraine," adding that U.S. military resources and supplies are limited, and that there could come a time when Washington will struggle to guarantee the support Kyiv needs.