Pentagon to Kurdistan24: U.S. Military Ready to Strike 'at the Time and Place of the President's Choosing'

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The United States military remains fully prepared to carry out operations whenever ordered by President Donald Trump, the Pentagon's chief spokesman told Kurdistan24 on Saturday, underscoring Washington's readiness as tensions with Iran continue to escalate across the Middle East.

In exclusive remarks to Kurdistan24, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said the U.S. armed forces possess the capabilities and resources needed to execute any mission directed by the commander in chief.

"America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests," Parnell said.

The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies its warnings toward Iran following renewed hostilities and a series of attacks blamed on Tehran and its regional proxies.

While Parnell did not specify whether additional military operations were imminent, his remarks reinforced the administration's message that the United States retains both the capability and the resolve to respond forcefully to threats against American personnel and interests.

The Pentagon's statement follows increasingly forceful rhetoric from President Trump, who indicated Friday that U.S. military operations against Iran could continue.

Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, Trump said the United States would continue its campaign until Iran changes its behavior.

"We just want to win," Trump said, adding that the U.S. would hit Iran "very hard" until it "can't take it anymore."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later accused Tehran of violating a truce memorandum reached with Washington last month before allegedly attacking commercial shipping and killing American soldiers.

"President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," Leavitt said Friday evening. "Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in what President Trump deems a meaningful way."

The heightened rhetoric coincided with new security measures across the region. On Saturday, the U.S. State Department issued updated security alerts for American citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, urging heightened caution amid the deteriorating security environment.

The advisory warned travelers to prepare for possible flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures, and other transportation disruptions.

Meanwhile, regional security incidents continued to mount. Kuwait's Defense Ministry said Saturday that its armed forces responded to drone attacks targeting several vital facilities in the country, including a government building in northern Kuwait. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said no casualties were reported.

Maritime security also deteriorated in the Strait of Hormuz. The British Navy reported that a tanker was struck while a separate explosion occurred near another commercial vessel off the coast of Oman.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization, an unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of one vessel northeast of Lima, Oman, while another tanker reported a nearby explosion northwest of Khasab. No casualties were reported in either incident.

The latest developments underscore growing concerns over regional stability as Washington maintains pressure on Tehran and signals that the U.S. military remains prepared to conduct additional operations if directed by President Trump.