FLASH
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Shortly before the US attack on Iran, with the ultimate goal, as it later turned out, of overthrowing the regime, Donald Trump was briefed by his country's national security team on the risk of serious American casualties, but also on the prospect of broader geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East in favor of American interests.
Operation "Epic Fury," as the Pentagon called it, inaugurated a new cycle of conflict in the region with an uncertain outcome.
According to a US official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, briefings to Trump described the operation as a "high-risk, high-reward" scenario.
The president himself publicly acknowledged the risks, declaring at the start of the operations yesterday morning that "the lives of brave American heroes could be lost."
In a video message, Trump stressed: "We're not doing it for the moment, we're doing it for the future and it's a noble mission ," adding that "for 47 years the Iranian regime has shouted death to America and waged a relentless campaign of bloodshed and mass murder. We will no longer tolerate this."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
Briefings from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as well as from the head of Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, included assessments (which ultimately proved to be true) of possible Iranian attacks on American bases and actions by pro-Iranian organizations in Iraq and Syria.
Another official noted that the White House had been briefed on the risk of massive missile attacks that could overwhelm air defenses, while also emphasizing the limits of the air defense systems that had been hastily deployed in the region.
Meanwhile, state television IRIB reported that "the Supreme Leader has achieved martyrdom," without providing details on the circumstances.
“With the supreme leader’s testimony, his vision and mission will not be lost, will not be forgotten; on the contrary, they will continue with even more energy and zeal,” said a state television presenter.
The state news agency IRNA also reported that Khamenei had died, without specifying the cause of death.
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