The U.S.-Iran nuclear peace agreement negotiations resumed in early February.
Neutralizing Nuclear Threats of a ‘Terrorist Regime’
As soon as he announced the U.S. military operations, the president stated his objective as “defending the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”He described the Islamic Republic as a “terrorist regime” and “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
“It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, citing repeatedly failed attempts of negotiation for Iran to disarm nuclearly.
The day before the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a U.N. nuclear watchdog issued a report to its 35-country board.
In the report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran is conducting unexplained activity at recently bombed nuclear sites and that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities.”
In his speech, Trump expressed his frustration with the back-and-forth from the Iranian side over whether they would agree to abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“They’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore,” he said.
Adding that Iran tried to rebuild its nuclear program and develop long-range missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland, the president continued, “Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had, and actually were armed with, nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.”
Offering Iranian People a ‘Chance for Generations’
Central to the president’s message was also a call for the Iranian people to take the “only chance for generations” to “take over your government.”“So let’s see how you respond,” Trump said. “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.”
The attack, coordinated between the United States and Israel, has occurred at an unprecedented time. Since last June, the threat Iran poses to the West, rooted primarily in its nuclear ambitions and its network of terrorist proxies, has been significantly reduced.
During the Israel-Gaza war that began in October 2023, Israel dealt heavy blows to terrorist organizations—Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis—that have received significant financial and security backing from Iran.
‘We May Have Casualties’
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” the president warned in his address to the nation, preparing Americans for the potential costs of the operation.“Almost all officials are safe and sound and alive,” Araghchi told NBC News on Saturday morning. “We may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem.”
Araghchi, who shared clips from his NBC News interview on his Telegram account, said Iran was attacking American bases in self-defense.
In the update on X at 1:08 p.m. Washington time, CENTCOM stated that the impact of Iran’s attacks on U.S. military bases has been “minimal.”
As he cautioned the public about potential losses, Trump emphasized what he described as the mission’s long-term stakes.
“We’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future. And it is a noble mission,” he said.
“We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran.”