BREAKING: Trump addresses nation, pronounces Iran ‘objectives are nearing completion’
President Donald Trump spoke from the White House on Wednesday night to explain to the American people “why Operation Epic Fury is necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world.” The United States and Israel have been allied in their fight against Iran, which in turn closed the Strait of Hormuz, limiting the worldwide oil supply.
Trump told allies that if they want the oil in Iran they should go get it or they should buy oil from the United States instead. In recent days, Trump has theatened to pull the US out of NATO over the allies’ refusal to aid the US in the Iran fight. He did not mention this in his remarks, nor did he indicate that a ground invasion of Iran was imminent.
“Iran’s Navy is gone. Their Air Force is in ruins. Their leaders, most of them terrorist regime they led, are now dead,” Trump said. He said that “from the very first day [he] announced his campaign” he has vowed to “never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Trump also repeatedly spoke on the campaign trail about being a peace president who had not and would not start any new wars.
He praised the military for their efforts both in Iran and Venezuela as well as NASA for their Artemis II moon mission before launching into his justification for the engagement in the Middle East, begun by the US and Israel on February 28. Trump explained that Iran has been an enemy to the United States for 47 years and that previous presidential administrations should “have been handled long before [he] arrived in office.”
He said that he has “done what no other president was willing to do” by attacking an Iran that had been funded by previous administrations, namely that of President Barack Obama. Trump praised the efforts he’s undertaken to prevent Iran’s nuclear program from going forward both in his current and first term. He said that the concern of the United States was that Iran would have such a stockpile of conventional weapons that it would become a shield for the advancement of their nuclear program.
“As I stated in my announcement of Operation Epic Fury, our objectives are very simple and clear,” Trump said. “We are systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to threaten America or project power outside of their borders. That means eliminating Iran’s Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their air force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.
“We’ve done all of it. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten, taken together. These actions will cripple Iran military, crush their ability to support terrorist proxies and deny them the ability to build a nuclear bomb,” he went on.
“Our armed forces have been extraordinary. There’s never been anything like it militarily, everyone is talking about it, and tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said.
As for concerns about the economic situation in the United States, which has experienced high gas prices, Trump said “the United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat.” He went on to say that “because of our ‘drill baby drill’ program, America has plenty of gas we have so much gas under my leadership, where number one producer of oil and gas on the planet without even discussing the millions of barrels.”
His message for other nations was to go to Iran and take the oil that they need. “We’ve beaten and completely decimated Iran. They are decimated, both militarily and economically and every other way. And the countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. They must cherish it. They must grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily.
“We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on. So to those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refuse to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves. I have a suggestion:
“Number one, buy oil from the United States of America. We have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage. Should have done it before. Should have done it with us as we asked, go to the Strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated,” he said.
“The hard part is done. So it should be easy, and in any event, when this conflict is over, the Strait will open up naturally. It will just open up naturally. They’re going to want to be able to sell oil, because that’s all they have to try and rebuild. It will resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down. Stock prices will rapidly go back up,” Trump said.
He essentially asked for patience, detailing how long other wars have gone on in the world and noting that the conflict in Iran has been only ongoing for 32 days. “We have all the cards. They have none. It’s very important that we keep this conflict in perspective,” Trump said. He insisted that the military operation is an investment in the future.
“We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant, against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days, and the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat. They were the bully of the Middle East, but they’re the bully no longer. This is a true investment in your children and your grandchildren’s future,” Trump said. “The whole world is watching, and they can’t leave the power, strength and brilliance. They just can’t believe what they’re seeing.”