• Source:JND
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US-Iran War: As the US-Iran war entered its second week, two key developments took place on Saturday. First, President Masoud Pezeshkian made an unusual apology to neighbouring countries for its actions, apparently seeking to calm regional anger at Iranian strikes on Gulf civilian targets. Second, hours later, US President Donald Trump came forward with renewed threats, saying 'Iran will be hit very hard today'.

The Iranian President said, "I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran's actions and am urging them not to join US-Israeli attacks on Iran." Pezeshkian dismissed Trump's demand for the Islamic Republic's unconditional surrender, terming it "a dream".

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'Iran's Apology As A Surrender': Trump

Trump described Iran's apology as a surrender, while saying the country would be "hit very hard" on Saturday. Later, huge explosions were heard in several parts of the Iranian capital. With Trump's 'no talk' approach, one thing is clear: the war is not going to end very soon. Now, the question arises why Trump does not want to stop the war even after eliminating the first line of top Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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Here Are The Possible Reasons Why Trump Wants To Continue The War:

  • Iran's Nuclear Programme: The core issue - Iran's nuclear programme, which triggered the war - is still unresolved as Tehran did not agree to completely give up its nuclear programme. Trump claimed that the issue is an "existential threat" to the United States and its allies, especially Israel. The US President also claimed that Iran came very close to developing a nuclear weapon. Justifying the continuation of the war, he vowed to completely destroy Iran's nuclear programme.

  • Destroying Iran's Ballistic Missile Capability: Trump also wants to reduce Iran's ballistic missile capacity to nil to keep away any future threat. Israel and the US claim that Iran's long-range missiles could soon reach American soil or its allies.

  • Elimination Of Iran's Proxies: The US wants a complete uprooting of Iran's proxy groups, such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. These Iran-backed groups pose a threat to the key sea routes, which affects US trade as well. The US and Israel see Tehran as a major source of regional instability because it funds and arms these militia groups. This time, the joint forces attacked the Hezbollah and the Houthis as well. 

  • US' Interest In Middle East: By demanding "unconditional surrender" from Iran, Trump wants to establish a strong position of the US in the Middle East, eying rich oil stocks in the region. 
  • Regime Change: However, it is not clear whether Trump really wants to continue the war till a regime change, yet he expressed his desire that he wants a say in the government formation in Iran similar to Venezuela.

    • (With Agencies Inputs)

     


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