US President Donald Trump gave a national address at the White House about the current Middle East conflict and provided an update on Operation Epic Fury.
“Tonight, Iran’s navy is gone, their airforces in ruins, their leaders — most of them terrorist regimes they led — are now dead, their commanding control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being decimated as we speak,” he said.
“Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces.”
Trump said the US mission is nearing completion. “As I stated in my announcement of Operation Epic Fury, our objectives are very clear, we are systemically disabling the regime’s ability to threaten America or project power outside of their border,” he said.
He claims that Iran’s navy has been “absolutely destroyed” and that its airforce and missile programs have been hurt at “levels never seen before.”
Trump spoke about the reason for initially targeting Iran. He mentioned the possible nuclear weapons threat and also spoke about the regime’s proxies’ attacks on Americans in the region and its brutal crackdown on protesters inside Iran. He stated, “we don’t have to be there” and “we’re there to help our allies.”
Trump provided an update on Operation Epic Fury and said he would never “allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” He emphasised, “I will never let that happen and neither should any presidents.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed it has no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb. Trump says his predecessors should have take more action against Iran developing nuclear weapons.
Trump proceeded to say that through both terms of his presidency, he has worked to combat Iran by killing Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and then by terminating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Trump called the JCPOA deal “disastrous,” arguing it would have let Iran build a “colossal arsenal” of nuclear bombs. The JCPOA’s authority suffered a major blow in 2018 when Trump withdrew the US from the agreement.
He also claimed former president Barack Obama gave Iran $US1.7 billion in “green, green cash” to buy the country’s loyalty.
Iran never received a direct payment from the US. According to the Center for Arms Control and Proliferation, the funds were Iran’s own foreign assets, previously frozen due to international sanctions.
“Under the JCPOA, these nuclear-related sanctions were waived after Iran verifiably completed its initial obligations,” the organisation noted.
Trump then thanked US allies in the Middle East, saying “they’ve been great,” and vowing “We will not let them get hurt or fail in any way, shape or form.”
Trump closed his address by comparing the current conflict to previous wars in the 20th and 21st century. He specifically noted the length of those wars contrasting with the current conflict which has lasted 32 days, noting that it’s due to the advanced military powers the US possess.
“Tonight, every American can look forward to a day when we are finally free from the wickedness of Iranian aggression and the spectre of nuclear blackmail,” he said.
Trump promised that when the war is over “the United States will be safer, stronger, more prosperous and greater than it has ever been before.”
