Trump says Iran strikes ‘last best chance’ to ‘eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick regime’

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump argues that Operation Epic Fury that he authorized over the weekend was the “last best chance” to strike Iran and “eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime.”

After coming under criticism for failing to present a clear case for the operation to the American public, Trump lists four goals for the operation, in prepared remarks at a White House event.

One, destroying Iran’s missile capabilities. He again claims that Iran was soon going to have the ability to launch long-range missiles that could reach the US, which is reportedly not substantiated by American intelligence assessments.

“The purpose of this fast growing missile program was to shield their nuclear weapon development and make it extraordinarily difficult for anyone to stop them from making these highly forbidden by US nuclear weapons,” Trump says.

The second goal is to “annihilate” Iran’s navy, Trump says, boasting that the US has already sunk 10 of the Islamic Republic’s ships.

The third goal is to ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump has asserted that he obliterated Iran’s entire nuclear program by striking its three main sites last year.

He again claims that Iran “refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons” after US warnings not to do so after last year’s strikes.

The fourth goal for the operation that Trump lists is to ensure that Iran cannot continue to back proxy militia groups beyond its borders.

He does not mention regime change, though he has urged Iranians in previous speeches to seize the opportunity provided by the strikes to “take over” their government.

Trump claims the US is “substantially ahead of our time projections” for the operation. “We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.”

“We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership, and, as you know, that was done in about an hour,” Trump claims.

He says he heard a reporter claim that he wants to end the war quickly because he will get bored.

“I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this… If I got bored, I wouldn’t be standing here right now,” he adds.