Exclusive-Ahead of strikes, Trump was told Iran attack is high risk, high reward
#Iran Attack #Trump Briefings #Operation Epic Fury #Middle East Conflict #High Risk High Reward #U.S. Military Action #Iran Retaliation
📌 Key Takeaways
- Trump received high-risk, high-reward briefings before Iran attack
- Operation Epic Fury launched with U.S. and Israeli strikes across Iran
- Multiple officials including Ratcliffe, Caine, Rubio and Hegseth briefed Trump
- Experts warn of significant Iranian retaliatory capabilities including missiles, drones and cyber attacks
- Trump aims to destroy Iran's military capabilities and prevent nuclear development
📖 Full Retelling
President Donald Trump received briefings in Washington ahead of the U.S. attack on Iran where officials described the operation as a high-risk, high-reward scenario, warning of potential major American casualties while also touting a generational shift in Middle Eastern politics favorable to U.S. interests, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters. The launch of what the Pentagon called 'Operation Epic Fury' on Saturday plunged the Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict, with U.S. and Israeli militaries striking sites across Iran, triggering retaliatory Iranian attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf Arab countries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Trump's national security team including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, General Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered assessments that not only acknowledged the dangers but also presented potential strategic benefits. In a video address announcing the start of major combat operations, Trump acknowledged the stakes, stating 'the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost' but emphasized that 'we're doing this not for now, we're doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.' Prior to the strikes, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, flew to Washington to join discussions in the White House Situation Room, where officials were briefed on numerous risks including retaliatory missile strikes on U.S. bases and potential attacks by Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria. Despite these warnings, Trump outlined sweeping objectives including destroying Iran's missile industry, annihilating its navy, and preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons while calling on Iranians to topple their government, a goal experts note is complicated by fragmented opposition within Iran.
🏷️ Themes
Middle East Conflict, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military Strategy
📚 Related People & Topics
2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran
Ongoing military operation
On 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on various targets in Iran. The operation, codenamed Roaring Lion (Hebrew: מִבְצַע שְׁאָגַת הָאֲרִי, romanized: mivtsá she'agát ha'arí) in Israel, Operation Epic Fury by the United States Department of Defense, began with a se...
Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for 2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran:
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Nuclear program of Iran
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Ali Khamenei
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Donald Trump
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Iran
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Regime change
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Original Source
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry U.S., Israel strike Iran as Trump confirms ‘major combat operations’ Strategists see only temporary market impact from Iran strikes U.S., Israel strike Iran — what is known so far Berkshire’s operating profit slides nearly 30% on insurance underwriting (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Exclusive-Ahead of strikes, Trump was told Iran attack is high risk, high reward By Reuters World Published 02/28/2026, 10:02 AM Updated 02/28/2026, 10:24 AM Exclusive-Ahead of strikes, Trump was told Iran attack is high risk, high reward 0 By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Feb 28 - Ahead of the U.S. attack on Iran, President Donald Trump received briefings that not only delivered blunt assessments about the risk of major U.S. casualties but also touted the prospect of a generational shift in the Middle East in favor of U.S. interests, a U.S. official told Reuters. The launch of what the Pentagon called "Operation Epic Fury" on Saturday plunged the Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict. The U.S. and Israeli militaries struck sites across Iran, triggering retaliatory Iranian attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf Arab countries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the briefers described the operation to the president as a high-risk, high-reward scenario. Trump himself appeared to echo that sentiment when he acknowledged the stakes at the onset of the operation, saying "the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost." "But we’re doing this not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission," Trump said in a video address announcing the start of major combat operations. "For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder ... We’re not gonna put up with it any longer." The briefings from Trump’s national security team help explain how the president decided to pursue arguably the riskiest U.S. mi...
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