He called the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East to confirm the details of the operation, asking about how the regime in Iran was likely to retaliate and how many American casualties he could expect, according to two U.S. officials who were briefed on Trump’s call with Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command. Trump’s call with Cooper was a reminder of the high stakes and competing pressures that shaped the president’s decision to launch the war, which is premised on what Iran experts say is an optimistic assessment of the likelihood that the Islamic Republic itself can be brought to an end. Like some of Trump’s other allies, the former official was perplexed as to why the president hadn’t taken the opportunity in his State of the Union address on Tuesday to tell the American people why war in Iran is in the nation’s interest and likely to succeed.
Author: Shane Harris, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Nancy A. Youssef, Ashley Parker, Jonathan Lemire, Michael Scherer
Published at: 2026-02-28 22:59:33
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