Trump: Iran Having Nuclear Weapons an ‘Intolerable Threat’ to U.S., Middle East

Trump: Iran Having Nuclear Weapons an ‘Intolerable Threat’ to U.S., Middle East

President Donald Trump made his first public remarks about the operation against Iran before a Medal of Honor Ceremony.

“For almost 47 years, this regime has been attacking the United States and killing Americans,” Trump said. Every time you see someone with missing arms and legs or a face that’s been absolutely shattered violently, it was almost certainly caused by an Iran roadside bomb.”

Fox News detailed the attacks that have happened since 1979. The Iranian regime legitimately has American blood on its hands.

Trump confirmed the military continues to execute Operation Epic Fury in Iran while admitting the U.S. does not know when it will end.

But Trump justified the operation, repeating the fact that Iran having nuclear weapons and long-range missiles would be a threat to the U.S. and America:

Today, the United States military continues to carry out large scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible, terrorist regime.

Following our obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program in Operation Midnight Hammer a short while ago, 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. In addition, the regime’s conventional ballistic missile programs growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas. 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 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.

We were the ones that were complaining. We were the ones that wanted it stopped, but everybody was behind us. They just didn’t have the courage to say so. An Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat. I was very proud to have knocked out the Iran nuclear deal by President Barack Hussein Obama. That was a horrible, horrible dangerous document. They would have had nuclear weapons three years ago and they would have used them. But I’ll not let that happen.

President Trump: “Today,tThe United States military continues to carry out large scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible, terrorist regime. Following our obliteration of Iran's nuclear program in Operation Midnight Hammer a… pic.twitter.com/zzsCnyPXOp

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 2, 2026

Trump also backed up Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s comments about the three main objectives the U.S. wants to achieve in Iran to destroy the regime’s nuclear capabilities. He added that the U.S. wants to destroy Iran’s ability to fund and arm its proxy terrorist groups:

First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis and their capacity to produce brand new ones and pretty good ones, they make.

Second, we’re annihilating their Navy. We’ve knocked out already ten ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea.

Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon, never going to have a nuclear weapon. I said that from the beginning. They’re never going to have a nuclear weapon. They were on the road to getting one legitimately through a deal that was signed foolishly by our country.

And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.

And 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 out. I said you can’t deal with these people. Got to do it the right way.

President Trump: “For almost 47 years, this regime has been attacking the united States and killing Americans. Every time you see someone with missing arms and legs or a face that's been absolutely shattered violently, it was almost certainly caused by an Iran roadside bomb. They… pic.twitter.com/W8OvJK5oKu

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 2, 2026

Trump mourned the four U.S. service members who died in an Iranian retaliation strike.

“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,” said Trump. “In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people, and a threat indeed it is.”

The administration doesn’t have a time frame, but projected the operation to last four to five weeks.

Trump warned it could last longer:

We have the strongest and most powerful by far military in the world and we will easily prevail. We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes, we will always and we have right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it.

“So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot, but please join me in thanking every American service member who bravely is standing in harm’s way,” added Trump. “They really are incredible. And I just want to thank you.”

President Trump: “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, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime… pic.twitter.com/FcUclJV1zt

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 2, 2026

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