White House: US Operation Will End Only After Objectives Are Met and Iran Surrenders Unconditionally

According to The Financial News, the White House said that the US military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) could end when President Donald Trump determines that the operation’s objectives have been fully achieved.
During a briefing on the 10th (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said of the timeline for ending the operation against Iran, "Ultimately, the operation will conclude when the Commander-in-chief, President Trump, judges that the military objectives have been fully accomplished, and when he determines that Iran has reached a state of complete and unconditional surrender, regardless of what it publicly declares."
Her remarks are being interpreted to mean that the US will not end the war without Iran’s unconditional surrender.
In the briefing, Leavitt defended the operation, saying, "Had the United States not moved swiftly, Iran would have threatened the US with its nuclear program and ballistic missiles."
She stated, "By destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, we have ensured that Iran can no longer pose a nuclear threat to the United States, our allies, or US forces in the region." She particularly criticized Iran for having "lied" during nuclear deterrence negotiations, and added that intelligence agencies had assessed that Iran was rebuilding its ballistic missile program in a "radical and aggressive" manner and could have posed a serious threat by the end of this month.
Leavitt also said, "President Trump, as Commander-in-chief, is not ruling out any options," leaving open the possibility of deploying US ground troops.
This is seen as a response to an earlier comment by Democratic Party Senator Richard Blumenthal of the United States Senate, who said, "It appears the United States is on a path toward deploying ground forces to achieve its objectives."
Leavitt said, "I will not confirm or comment on Democratic lawmakers’ characterizations of what the president is thinking," but nonetheless made it clear that there are no limits on the military options under consideration.
Regarding the tragedy in which a girls’ school in southern Iran was bombed, killing 175 children, the White House said that a Department of Defense investigation report will be released soon.
President Trump suggested that the Tomahawk cruise missiles used in the attack are widely copied and possessed by multiple countries, raising the possibility that a third country—or even Iran itself—could have been responsible.
Leavitt said she would not comment before the US Department of Defense issues its findings, stating, "The president has the right to share his views with the American public," but also adding, "Whatever the investigation concludes, he will accept its results."

jjyoon@fnnews.com Reporter Yoon Jae-joon Reporter