U.S. President Donald Trump says the conflict in Iran is projected to go on for another “four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.”
Trump spoke before the U.S. military confirmed late Monday that a total of six American service members have been killed in action so far, up from four reported early in the day.
Since Saturday’s initial attack in Iran, Trump said he has warned Iran “to not make any attempt to rebuild” its nuclear program.
“I said that from the beginning: they’re never going to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said Monday afternoon at the Medal of Honor ceremony in his first live public remarks since the attack.
He also outlined the current U.S. military objectives.
“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,” he said.
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“Second, we’re annihilating their navy. 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.”
He also stated that “our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat.”
“We thought we had a deal, but then they backed out and they came back and we thought we had a deal and they backed out. I said, you can’t deal with these people. You’ve got to do it the right way.”
The first strikes Saturday morning appeared to target the home of Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran. He was later killed by strikes in central Tehran that same day.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the operation in Iran was not a “so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it.”
Trump first said the “massive” operation was intended to ensure Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, and aimed at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He urged Iranians to shelter because “bombs will be dropping everywhere.”
Trump, Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Dan Caine have predicted more casualties will come as the war continues.
“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you,” Caine said of the troops killed and their family members at a briefing alongside Hegseth at the Pentagon.
Currently, Global Affairs Canada has reported that 85k Canadians are in the Middle East; with 2,921 Canadians in Iran, 6,006 Canadians in Israel and 438 registered in the Palestinian territories.
—With files from Global’s Sean Boynton and the Associated Press
Yup, and Putin said he would take Ukraine in about a week. Both are drinking the same Kool Aide!
God bless America – they’ll need it!
Ol’ Trump with the hubris and hypocrisy…and he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize. LOL
All around good month. Mexican cartel boss whacked, Iranian regime supreme (lol) leader whacked, Venezuelan dictator caputured, my Iranian buddies celebrating with their families, Thank-you Trump!
No wonder Canada is cooked. All these people that hate trump so bad that they engage in defacto support for a regime that oppresses women, throws LGBTQ people off buildings, and murder people who speak against them
i mean the Iranian people are happy. I have two Iranian work colleagues who are delighted..but dont let that stop your TDS
You talked about your Troops what are you going to do for there families when mom’s and dad’s don’t come home? Because we’ve already seen your careless whisper you have done for your veterans Students really children babies you couldn’t even get them out first
Let’s see, the US along with the UK started this mess in 1953. So yeah, maybe time to wrap this up.
“Can never obtain a nuclear weapon”. If Iran strikes the right deal with Russia, they could have nukes by the end of the week, regardless of what Trump does.
Nothing but a war piggy.
The only thing that Republican presidents ever do is wreck the economy for the average citizen and invade the Middle East.