On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that the ongoing war with Iran was “largely done,” claiming that military operations of the United States had quickly destroyed the core defensive capabilities of Iran and removed their immediate threat of obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump told reporters that this war is a decisive military action against the Iranian government and will be concluded in a few days. The reality is that nearly all of Iran’s defensive capabilities have now collapsed.
Swift and Decisive Campaign
Trump called the military action a fast and complete success; it was just a military operation to him. He stated that the wars with Iran were basically over in two to three days at max. He reported that Iran lost its navy practically at once, then they lost their air force and anti-aircraft systems, thus removing any possibility of Iranian attacks against US ground assets in the area.
Moreover, the President remarked that US forces now have every opportunity to operate in Iranian airspace because all of the radar systems and defences in Iran have been effectively destroyed. In Trump’s words, “Iran has no radar, no anti-aircraft systems, and no air. Hence, Iran was completely degraded; therefore, their military power has been removed.”
Strategic Infrastructure Remains Intact
Trump admitted that some specific targets were intentionally left untouched; namely, Iranian oil and cargo infrastructure, which were left intact for the purpose of being able to rebuild. Trump stated he did not take their oil away from them because if he did, it would have created a very complex post-reconstruction of the oil facilities. “If you had taken all of their oil out – you could’ve done that in one day, but you would have had to make many pipes that no one in Iran would be able to do that for for years,” Trump stated.
The President of the United States said the US could easily destroy other critical systems of Iranian infrastructure, including electrical grid systems, in one hour. “If we wanted to destroy their electric power, there is absolutely nothing the Iranians would be able to do, because everything is destroyed,” Trump stated with regard to the overwhelming amount of military power the US currently has in the Middle East.
Nuclear Threat Eliminated
Trump’s main focus during his speech was getting rid of Iran’s nuclear programme, and he cautioned that if Iran had been able to get a nuclear weapon, it would have been very bad for the world, adding, “They would have used it within 24 hours of getting it.” He expressed strong concern for the safety of the Middle East and the world and praised the military operation for preventing any future nuclear incident in those areas.
Trump praised the success of the military operation using B-2 bombers, saying that it not only protected the world from a nuclear threat but that it also prevented a nuclear war in the Middle East and potentially in other parts of the world as a result of stopping the Iranian military from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “We bombed them out. You would have had a nuclear war in the Middle East, and potentially in other countries, and it would have happened because of Iran’s actions,” he said, noting how well the Air Force performed during the mission and the importance of their role in stopping Iran from acquiring any nuclear capability.
Longstanding Warnings
Trump once again reiterated how long Iran has been a threat to the world and how often his administration warned about Iran’s desire to obtain nuclear weapons and its aggressive actions throughout the region. The President explained that the aim of this campaign was to take action before the situation escalated into a major nuclear war.
Although the US President stressed that the operation was primarily for neutralising threats, he stated that if Iran were to regain its military capabilities, then further actions could be taken. Trump stated that should an opportunity arise, the United States would quickly be able to disable the infrastructure, such as the electric and power generation sectors, indicating that the United States continues to have leverage over Iran.
Regional and Global Implications
The conflict has attracted international and regional power attention, especially in West Asia, through military operations affecting naval security of key maritime areas such as the Strait of Hormuz, as well as prompting countries such as India or the UAE (and other Gulf states) to engage diplomatically.
Trump’s comments serve to maintain this bigger picture view that there will be a quick and effective U.S. response; at the same time, they suggest that whatever happens will have far-reaching consequences for both the Middle East as a whole and energy prices globally.
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