Overview
- Middle East Eye reporting, cited by multiple outlets, says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “at each other’s throats” over whether to deploy U.S. forces to Iran.
- Hegseth is described as favoring a deployment while Rubio is wary of a drawn-out war, even as officials publicly say ground troops are not part of the plan for now and the president signals he would approve if necessary.
- A Gulf official told MEE that U.S. officials discussed inserting special-operations teams into Iran to target senior IRGC figures and people tied to the nuclear program, a claim not publicly confirmed.
- U.S.-Israeli strikes across Iran since the weekend reportedly killed more than 1,000 people according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and Iranian state media said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, while retaliatory attacks have left six U.S. service members dead.
- The State Department is evacuating Americans from the region and the Pentagon is surging intelligence-focused personnel, steps reported as signs of strained planning and shifting aims.