15/10: Trump rates Iran war as over 1,000 civilians killed
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump gave a stellar rating to the US military's performance in the ongoing conflict with Iran, which the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) claims has killed over 1,000 Iranians. Speaking at a roundtable on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the White House, he said he would rate their efforts "about a 15" on a scale of 10. The rights group reported 1,097 civilian deaths and almost 5,000 injuries since the war began on Saturday.
Conflict update
Trump claims US gaining upper hand in conflict
Trump said the US and its allies are gaining the upper hand in the conflict. He claimed that Tehran's leadership is being targeted and "everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead." The president also said Iran's ballistic missile arsenal is being "wiped out rapidly." "Their missiles are being wiped out rapidly. Their launchers are being wiped out," he said.
Justification
Justifying military action, Trump says nuclear weapons in wrong hands
Trump has justified the military action against Iran, saying it was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen," he said. The joint air campaign with Israel will continue, he added. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Saturday's attacks. According to Axios, days following Khamenei's death, a building housing 88 members of the country's Council of Experts was destroyed while they were counting votes for his replacement.
Future plans
What happens after war ends remains unclear
Despite the administration's confidence, Trump has not detailed what will happen after the war ends. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is "actively considering" a US role in Iran after the military campaign concludes. "I think it's something the president is actively considering and discussing with his advisors and his national security team," Leavitt told reporters. She said that Trump had spoken to Kurdish leaders as part of Washington's strategy in this conflict.