An alleged Iranian assassination team purportedly made an attempt on the life of Donald Trump, as stated by the US Secretary of Defense. Pete Hegseth announced in a press briefing that the leader of the unit responsible for the assassination attempt was eliminated by US forces, who he mentioned had successfully “tracked down and neutralized” the individual.
During the briefing, Hegseth declared, “Yesterday, the leader of the unit behind the attempted assassination of President Trump was located and eliminated. Iran made an effort to assassinate President Trump, but ultimately, President Trump emerged victorious.”
Hegseth further emphasized the progress of the United States in the Middle East conflict, asserting that the US is making substantial strides in its military campaign against Iran, describing the advancement as “decisive, devastating, and relentless.”
He also disclosed plans for additional deployment of military assets, including jet fighters and bombers, to the region, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring success in the mission by taking the necessary time.
Regarding the military capabilities, Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, mentioned that American forces possess sufficient ammunition for the ongoing operations against Iran. Hegseth added that although advanced weaponry was initially utilized, the military has transitioned to gravity bombs now that control of Iranian airspace has been secured, highlighting the strong reserves of advanced weapons.
Hegseth highlighted the comprehensive efforts to counter unmanned aerial systems, indicating that significant resources have been allocated to this purpose to maintain operational effectiveness.
In a significant development, Hegseth disclosed that a US submarine successfully sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in a strike that marked the first such attack on an adversary since World War II. The incident resulted in the sinking of the Iranian vessel, despite prior reports of distress and rescue efforts involving 32 individuals, with an estimated 140 individuals still unaccounted for.
The US military had previously reported the destruction of 17 Iranian vessels, with the objective of incapacitating the Iranian navy entirely, as part of their military operations in the region.