Ahead Of Strikes, Trump Told Iran Attack Was High Risk, High Reward

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Ahead of the U.S. strike on Iran, President Donald Trump received briefings that not only gave frank assessments of the risk of major U.S. casualties but also touted the possibility of a generational change in the Middle East that favored U.S. interests, a U.S. official told Reuters.

The launch of what the Pentagon dubbed “Operation Epic Rage” on Saturday has plunged the Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict. US and Israeli militaries have struck sites across Iran, triggering retaliatory Iranian attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf Arab states.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said briefers described the operation to the president as a high-risk, high-reward scenario.

Trump himself appeared to echo that sentiment, saying “the lives of brave American heroes may be lost” while acknowledging the risks at the start of the operation.

“But we’re not doing this for now, we’re doing this for the future, and that’s a noble mission,” Trump said in a video speech announcing the start of major combat operations.

“The Iranian regime has been chanting death slogans against America for 47 years and has been waging an endless campaign of bloodshed and mass murder… We will not put up with this any longer.”

Briefings from Trump’s national security team help explain how the president decided to pursue arguably the riskiest U.S. military operation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Before the attacks, Trump received numerous briefings from officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, US General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

On Thursday, Adm. Brad Cooper, who commands U.S. forces in the Middle East as head of Central Command, flew to Washington to take part in discussions in the White House Situation Room.

A second US official said that before the attacks, the White House was briefed on a number of risks associated with operations against Iran; these include retaliatory strikes by Iranian missiles against multiple US bases in the region that could overwhelm defenses, as well as attacks by Iranian proxies against US troops in Iraq and Syria.

The official said that despite the intense US military buildup, there are limitations in the air defense systems sent to the region.

Experts warn that the resulting conflict could take dangerous turns, and the Pentagon’s plan does not appear to guarantee the outcome of any conflict, the first official said.

Nicole Grajewski of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Trump called on the Iranians to overthrow the government, but that was easier said than done.

“The Iranian opposition is very fragmented. It is unclear what the people are willing to do about the uprising,” Grajewski said.

Both U.S. officials requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of internal discussions.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.

In the weeks before the attack, Trump ordered a massive military build-up in the Middle East. Reuters reported that there is a military plan to wage a sustained campaign against Iran if that is the president’s choice. Officials said the plans included targeting individual officials.

An Israeli official said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Massoud Pezeshkian were targeted, but the outcome of the attacks was not clear.

Trump made clear Saturday that his goals in Iran are far-reaching, saying he would end the threat Tehran poses to the United States and give the Iranians a chance to overthrow their rulers. To achieve this, he outlined plans to decimate Iran’s military and deny it the ability to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies claims it is seeking nuclear weapons.

“We will destroy their missiles, we will destroy their missile industry… We will destroy their navy,” he said. “We will ensure that terrorist proxies in the region can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”

Trump’s decision reflects a much greater appetite for risk since he ordered U.S. special operations forces to travel to Venezuela last month and capture the country’s president in a daring raid.

The evolving campaign against Iran is riskier than when Trump ordered US forces to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened all US bases and interests in the region and said Iran’s retaliation would continue “until the enemy is definitively defeated.”

Experts warn that Iran has many options for retaliation, including missile strikes as well as drones and cyber warfare.

Daniel Shapiro, the former top Pentagon official for Middle East affairs, said Tehran could still cause some pain despite U.S. and Israeli attacks.

At the same time, Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel, said, “Iran’s ballistic missiles that can reach US bases are much more than the US’s interceptor missiles. Some of Iranian weapons can pass through.” “(Strikes) are a big gamble.” (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis)