US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby stated this Tuesday, March 3, that the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, died as a result of “Israeli operations” and that Washington’s main objective in the ongoing operations is to degrade Iranian military capabilities.
In statements before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, the Pentagon official stated that US operations in Iran are focused on stopping the “Islamic Republic’s ability to project military power” against the United States — particularly its bases in the Middle East — and also against its allies in the region “and beyond”.
These capabilities are “primarily” Iran’s missile forces, which “have grown significantly and pose a threat”, but the Iranian Navy has also been targeted, said the US Under Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs, appointed by Donald Trump.
Asked by Senator Jack Reed, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, why “the main objective of this campaign is the attack and death of Khamenei and important regime leaders”, Colby replied that these “are Israeli operations”.
Donald Trump had already hinted on Saturday that the United States did not aim to change the regime in Iran, but after the death of ‘ayatollah’ Khamenei, the American president nevertheless incited the Iranians to rebel.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched an offensive against Iran to “eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime”, having killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and most of the senior officials of the Revolutionary Guard.
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