Trump Calls Destruction of Iran’s Military Capacity a Moral Imperative as War Rages On

Framing the military campaign against Iran as a moral imperative rather than a strategic choice, President Donald Trump declared on Friday that Iranian leaders had earned their fate by killing innocent people around the world for decades. He called them “deranged scumbags” in a social media post and declared it a personal honor to be overseeing their deaths as the 47th US president. The post accompanied a day of intense US and Israeli bombing of Tehran and the announcement of the complete military obliteration of Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the moral framing at a press conference in Washington, describing Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as a man who had called for unity while killing tens of thousands of protesters. Hegseth noted that the leader had issued only a written statement with no voice or video, which US officials interpreted as evidence that he had been wounded and disfigured in the strikes. Iran’s leadership, Hegseth said, was desperate and hiding underground. Combined US-Israeli forces have struck more than 15,000 targets since the war began.
Iran has struck back across the region, maintaining its campaign of attacks against Gulf state infrastructure, Israel, and Strait of Hormuz shipping. Saudi Arabia intercepted close to 50 Iranian drones in a single day. Qatar ordered Doha evacuations before intercepting a missile. Two people died in Oman in drone crashes. A building in Dubai’s financial district was damaged by intercepted debris. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched new coordinated strikes on Israel with Hezbollah as part of al-Quds Day, declaring the operation an act of Palestinian solidarity.
Lebanon has been devastated by the conflict, with over 600 dead and 800,000 displaced. At least eight more died in Sidon in an Israeli strike on Friday. Hezbollah injured close to 60 people in rocket salvoes at northern Israel. Israel’s defence minister warned Lebanon’s government it would face an escalating cost for Hezbollah’s use of national infrastructure. Israel struck the Zrarieh Bridge, claiming it was used by Hezbollah for troop movements. More than 600 people have now been killed in Lebanon since the latest fighting began.
The United States has lost 13 service members, including six in a tanker aircraft crash over Iraq. France lost one soldier in Iraq to a militia drone. Iran has reported over 1,300 deaths. Israel reports 12 deaths on its side. Tehran residents described a city of constant explosions, power failures, rubble, and trapped civilians unable to flee due to fuel shortages. European governments sought diplomatic back-channels with Tehran to protect Strait of Hormuz shipping. Trump’s warnings about striking Kharg Island’s oil infrastructure added enormous pressure to global energy markets already stressed by the ongoing conflict.