President Donald Trump justified launching strikes against Iran by saying the regime was working on missiles that could have reached the United States, but refused to answer questions from the press two days after the stunning joint operation with Israel.
After speaking about the Iran conflict and then awarding the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor in combat, to three individuals, Trump exited the East Room without answering a single question shouted to him.
The Monday event was the first time since Operation Epic Fury began on Saturday that Trump had spoken live to the public about the joint operation. Trump justified the conflict, saying that Iran was working to rebuild its nuclear capacities after last year’s strike and was also working on expanding its ballistic missile program to “shield their nuclear weapon development” program.
“The regime’s conventional ballistic missile program was growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas,” Trump said. “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.”
Trump said the global community was relieved that Iran was being stopped in its tracks, but “they just didn’t have the courage to say so.”
“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said about the strikes. “Our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat.”
“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,” Trump added.
Trump said the objectives of the operation were to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, annihilate its navy, block Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, and ensure that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies around the globe.
The president had previously spoken to individual reporters about the strikes since Saturday, but it is notable that Trump, who regularly takes impromptu press conferences, declined to do so on Monday.
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Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press conference about the operation on Monday morning.