President Donald Trump says U.S. forces have moved faster than projected in dismantling Iran’s military leadership and missile capabilities as large-scale combat operations continue.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump delivered a detailed update on Operation Epic Fury during remarks at a White House Medal of Honor ceremony Monday, stating that U.S. forces are “substantially ahead of our time projections” in their military campaign against Iran.
WATCH:
Speaking for several minutes before awarding the Medal of Honor to three Army soldiers, Trump outlined what he described as the objectives of the ongoing combat operations and defended the decision to launch strikes.
“Today, the United States military continues to carry out large scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible terrorist regime,” Trump said.
The president referenced prior U.S. strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, stating, “Following our obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program and Operation Midnight Hammer, a short while ago, we warned Iran not to make any attempt to rebuild at a different location.” He said Tehran “ignored those warnings and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
Trump asserted that Iran’s expanding ballistic missile program posed an escalating danger. “The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases, both local and overseas, and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America,” he said.
He characterized the missile program as a shield for nuclear development, stating it was designed “to make it extraordinarily difficult for anyone to stop them from making these highly forbidden, by us, nuclear weapons.”
The president reiterated his opposition to the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated during the Obama administration, saying, “I was very proud to have knocked out the Iran nuclear deal by President Barack Hussein Obama. That was a horrible, horrible, dangerous document. They would have had nuclear weapons three years ago, and they would have used them. But I’ll not let that happen.”
Trump framed the current operation as a decisive moment. “This was our last best chance to strike, what we’re doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime, and they are indeed sick and sinister. Our objectives are clear.”
He then outlined four stated goals:
“First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis, and their capacity to produce brand new ones and pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their neighbor. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon, never going to have a nuclear weapon. I said that from the beginning, they’re never going to have a nuclear weapon. They were on the road to getting one, legitimately, through a deal that was signed foolishly by our country. And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
The president also addressed the deaths of four American service members during the operation. “Today, we grieve for the four heroic American service members, who have been killed in action, and send our love and support to their families,” he said. “In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people, and a threat indeed it is.”
Trump said the military campaign has progressed faster than initially anticipated. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections,” he said. “We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it.”
He added that U.S. planners originally estimated “four weeks to terminate the military leadership,” but said that objective was achieved rapidly. “As you know, that was done in about an hour. So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot.”
Addressing media commentary about the duration of the conflict, Trump rejected suggestions that his administration might lose focus. “Somebody said today, they said, ‘Oh, well, the President wants to do it really quickly. After that, he’ll get bored.’ I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this,” he said.
He concluded by thanking U.S. service members. “Please join me in thanking every American service member who bravely is standing in harm’s way. They really are incredible.”
Operation Epic Fury continues amid ongoing Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region, with administration officials indicating that military operations remain active.
Original article
Comments