The war in the Middle East is quickly expanding. Israel was pounded with missiles by Iran overnight. The hopes of a “quick victory” are evaporating.
Israel was hit hard overnight, according to a report by ZeroHedge.
The United States Senate blocked an effort to curb President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury. The vote, which was 53–47 against a procedural motion aimed at limiting the warring operation. At the same time, Iran is increasing its response to the “preemptive” strikes on the country over a failure to come to terms on its nuclear policy. Tehran officials are saying that the war is expanding beyond just direct airstrikes.
President Trump claimed he is still seeking a “quick victory”, according to a report by The New York Times on Thursday. The report further claimed that, “[Trump’s] calculation has been that he can launch military operations with the loss of few American lives and minimal disruption to the economy. The opening days of the war in Iran are challenging that assumption.”
Already, six Americans have been killed. Gulf allies are under attack. The stock market wobbled. Gas prices are rising. The U.S. military is spending, by some estimates, hundreds of millions of dollars per day. In Iran, an airstrike on a girls’ elementary school killed 175 people, according to local health officials and Iranian state media, and the Trump administration says it is investigating who was responsible. –New York Times
According to a report by Politico, the Trump administration is scrambling to manage the fallout of the Iran war. The Pentagon is requesting additional intelligence officers for at least 100 days, suggesting the war could last far longer than the initially suggested four-week timeline. Officials say planning was limited. There’s talk of “through September.”