President Trump said Monday that the U.S. had to attack Iran because it is the best opportunity to take out the country’s nuclear capabilities.
He also said that the U.S. estimates the military operation will last four to five weeks, “but we have capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do whatever [it takes].”
“This was our last, best chance to strike,” Mr. Trump said at a White House event to present the Medal of Honor to three service members from the Vietnam and Afghanistan Wars and World War II.
The remarks were Mr. Trump’s first public comments about the attack since the U.S. and Israel began joint strikes on Iran early Saturday morning.
“What we are doing right now [to] eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Mr. Trump said.
“Following our obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program and Operation Midnight Hammer [last summer], we warned Iran not to make any attempt to rebuild at a different location, because they were unable to use the ones we so powerfully blew up, but they ignored those warnings and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons,” he 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,” the president said.
Mr. Trump said his administration repeatedly tried to finalize a nuclear deal with Iran, but was rebuffed at every turn.
“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 it,” he continued, “I said, ’You can’t deal with these people. You got to do it the right way.’”
Mr. Trump said he has the resolve to continue the strikes against Iran until the objectives are achieved.
“I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this,” Mr. Trump said about the U.S. capabilities to carry out the attacks.
Mr. Trump paid tribute to the four service members killed in retaliatory strikes by Iran.
SEE ALSO: Trump outlines objectives for war in Iran, as polling shows Americans question attack
“Today we grieve for the four heroic American service members who have been killed in action and send our love and support to their families in their memory,” Mr. Trump said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.