'Too Late': Trump rejects Iran talks as Operation Epic Fury intensifies

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed the possibility of "talks" with Iran as Operation Epic Fury entered its fifth day. "Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said "Too Late!"" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. With what the White House called a "preemptive strike" on Iran on February 28, the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury to dismantle Iran's nuclear program permanently.

Over the last two days, the conflict has reportedly seen a sharp increase in civilian casualties, apart from the formal confirmation of the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump, in a later appearance with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, assured that "about everything's been knocked out." The President's rhetoric was mirrored by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who told reporters that the U.S. had successfully "hunted down and killed" the Iranian commander responsible for a previous plot to assassinate Trump. "Iran tried to kill President Trump and President Trump got the last laugh," Hegseth said. Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, however, has denied that Tehran had approached the U.S. for negotiations.

As the conflict continues to rage on, the joint U.S-Israeli strikes have reportedly cost at least a thousand lives till now. The Iranian Red Crescent estimates the death toll has surpassed 700 people, including children, reportedly killed in a strike on a school in Minab, as per a report by The Guardian. United Nations experts issued a statement saying they were "deeply disturbed" by the rising toll of non-combatants. 

Defending the U.S. operation that has divided prominent supporters of President Trump's MAGA agenda, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that failing to strike Iran first would have led to "higher casualties" among American forces. Meanwhile, the regional spillover has intensified, with the U.S. Navy confirming the sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean and Hezbollah launching retaliatory strikes across the Israeli border. 

In response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian remnants, Trump has said that "the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible," promising to ensure the "FREE FLOW of ENERGY" to a global market that is experiencing record oil prices. Meanwhile, in Washington, the Senate is holding a contentious vote on the President's war powers.

In a later post on Truth Social, Trump also announced that American expats willing to come home can register with the State Department. "Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, more than 9,000 Americans have safely returned home from the Middle East. If you are a U.S. Citizen in the Middle East, and you want to come home, please register with the State Department at Step.State.Gov. The Department will identify where you are, and provide travel options to you. We are already chartering flights, free of charge, and booking commercial options, which we expect will become increasingly available as time goes on," Trump posted.