Trump says operations against Iran to continue, renews threat to target energy facilities

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said in a speech today, April 2, that the core strategic objectives of the military operations against Iran are “nearing completion,” while indicating an intensification of strikes over the next two to three weeks.

He added that war objectives are nearing completion and that the US is on track to achieve all military goals soon, adding that the American forces have secured rapid and decisive victories over the past four weeks.

Trump stated that Iran’s fleet has been destroyed, its air force is in ruins, and its leaders have been killed, adding that recent strikes have significantly reduced Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones.

He also said the previous nuclear deal would have allowed Iran to build a massive nuclear arsenal, while US intelligence had concluded before the war that Iran had not yet launched a weapons program, despite undertaking activities that enhanced its capability to produce nuclear weapons.

Trump stressed that the US will strike Iran “very hard” over the next two to three weeks sending them back “to the Stone Age”.

The Strait of Hormuz would reopen automatically after the conflict, the US President pointed out, noting that the US does not depend on it.

Trump urged countries that rely on the passage to take responsibility.

Negotiations are ongoing, but if no agreement is reached, the US would target all Iranian power plants forcefully, potentially simultaneously, the president said.

He added that the US holds ample fuel reserves.

He emphasized the importance of placing the conflict in context, comparing it to past wars, and said the US has been conducting a “strong and skillful” military operation against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days.

He claimed that the country has been crushed and no longer poses a threat, describing this as a real investment in the future of coming generations.