President Donald Trump says the U.S. military campaign against Iran is already delivering results. From the White House, Trump said Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon and defended the continuing strikes under Operation Epic Fury. The fighting intensified this week when a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean, a rare naval combat action not seen in decades. Military officials say the operation now involves tens of thousands of U.S. troops, hundreds of aircraft and multiple carrier strike groups.
At the same time, reports suggest Washington may be looking for ways to pressure Iran from inside the country. Sources say the administration has been talking with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish forces in Iraq about possibly backing an uprising. Those discussions reportedly include the idea of providing military support to antigovernmental groups.
The conflict is also fueling debate in Washington. Senate Democrats tried but failed to pass a war powers resolution that would have limited further military action without congressional approval. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has identified more U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on a port in Kuwait, bringing the total number of American deaths in the conflict so far to six.