US Says It Is Close to Controlling Iranian Airspace, War Goals May Be Achieved in Weeks
The United States has said it is making significant progress toward taking control of Iran’s airspace as military operations continue in the ongoing conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that Washington expects its military objectives in Iran to be achieved within four to six weeks.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Leavitt stated that the United States was steadily advancing toward dominance of Iranian airspace as part of its broader war strategy.
She also revealed that the U.S. government is considering potential candidates who could lead Iran following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader.
The development comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that the United States must play a role in determining Iran’s next leader.
Leavitt, however, declined to provide further details about the individuals under consideration, noting that intelligence agencies were reviewing several possible options.
“I know there are a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t go any further on that,” she said.
In the interview on Thursday, Trump suggested that the successor to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was unlikely to be his son, who had been widely considered a leading contender before Khamenei was killed in a military strike at the start of the war.
Earlier on Friday, Trump also ruled out negotiations with Iran unless the country agrees to what he described as “unconditional surrender.”
According to Leavitt, the president’s remarks mean that Iran would effectively be considered to have surrendered once the United States determines that the country no longer poses a threat and the objectives of the ongoing military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been fully achieved.
She explained that once the operation’s goals are accomplished and Iran’s military capabilities are neutralized, the situation would amount to unconditional surrender, regardless of whether Iran formally declares it.
