WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told the nation Wednesday night that U.S. military operations against Iran are nearing completion, warning that American forces would escalate strikes over the next two to three weeks if no diplomatic deal is reached.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said Operation Epic Fury has effectively destroyed Iran’s navy, crippled its air force, depleted its missile stockpile and dismantled its defense industrial base. He said the country’s nuclear sites, struck earlier in Operation Midnight Hammer, remain under satellite surveillance.
“Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten,” Trump said.
Trump said he would order strikes on Iran’s electrical generating plants if negotiations fail to produce an agreement. He added that the country’s original leadership is dead, and that a new group of Iranian officials is “less radical and much more reasonable.”
The president acknowledged 13 American service members killed in the operation and said he had traveled twice to Dover Air Force Base to receive their remains. He said the families of those killed urged him to complete the mission.
Trump also addressed rising gas prices, attributing the increase to Iranian attacks on commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries. He said the Hormuz Strait would reopen naturally once the conflict ends and predicted fuel prices would fall rapidly.
He opened the address by congratulating NASA and the crew of Artemis II, which he said is traveling farther than any crewed spacecraft in history.
Trump said the United States has become fully energy independent and is no longer reliant on Middle Eastern oil, citing domestic production and an arrangement with Venezuela.
“Tonight, every American can look forward to a day when we are finally free from the wickedness of Iranian aggression and the specter of nuclear blackmail,” Trump said.
Watch the full address on the NMI News Service Facebook page and YouTube channel.
