On 4/6, when questioned if killing US soldiers would constitute a red line for Iran, President Donald Trump stated it would be a "justifiable reason" to resume military operations against the West Asian nation.
"If they kill US soldiers, I think I would do that very quickly. This is a very interesting question," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The US president also left open the possibility of meeting Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if the two countries reach a peace agreement. When asked if this meeting could take place in the US, Trump stated he "hadn't really heard much about this."
"I am not proposing that, but some people have suggested it," the US leader said.
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US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office on 4/6. Photo: *Reuters* |
Trump also stated he would show respect if he met Iran's Supreme Leader. "I am not his favorite person, but he is a professional nonetheless," President Trump added.
The Wall Street Journal reported on 3/6, citing anonymous US officials, that President Trump told aides he would consider ending the ceasefire agreement with Iran, effective since early April, if Iranian soldiers were killed by Tehran.
This information emerged amid recent exchanges of fire between the US and Iran, which have not escalated into a full-scale conflict.
On 3/6, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks targeting Ali Al Salem airport, a US base in Kuwait, and the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. These actions retaliated against Washington's attack on a Tehran oil tanker and a telecommunications tower on Qeshm island.
The Iranian Navy also announced attacks on enemy destroyers, but US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency overseeing US military operations in the Middle East, accused Tehran of "lying."
The US has not reported any soldiers killed by Iranian fire since the ceasefire took effect on 8/4. However, Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that Iran's missile attack on Ali Al Salem military airport on 30/5 injured 5 individuals, including military personnel and defense contractors, when debris from an intercepted projectile fell onto the base.
Satellite images captured by Airbus on 3/6 and released by Australia-based digital mapping platform Soar showed an aircraft and UAV hangar at Ali Al Salem military airport destroyed and charred. Two impact craters also appeared nearby.
According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump appears willing to accept small skirmishes lasting weeks or even months to avoid a larger conflict in the Middle East.
Pham Giang (Source: CNN, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg)
