What is the story about?
For the longest time, US President Donald Trump pledged to ensure that Iran never builds nuclear weapons. However, his stance seemed to be changing as the United States indulged in war with the West Asian nation. On Wednesday morning, the American leader told Reuters in an interview that he didn’t really care because it is “so far underground.”
When asked about the 970 pounds of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium that international inspectors say is likely buried at two sites in Iran — enough to make 10 to a dozen bombs- Trump said the issue is "no longer a worry" to him. “We’ll always be watching it by satellite,” the president was quoted as saying.
It is pertinent to note that this was the second time in 24 hours that Trump had declared that the nuclear problem with Iran had been solved, despite all evidence to the contrary. American intelligence agencies have been watching Iran’s nuclear sites by satellites for years, with particular intensity since the US attacks in June last year.
What made Trump's latest statement significant was the fact that it goes against his constant claim that a nuclear-armed Iran would be an existential threat to the United States and the world. He is also one of the key critics of the deal between former US President Barack Obama's administration and Iran. Hence, many are surprised by his latest statement.
In his first address to the nation since the start of the war, Trump said Iran’s military infrastructure is crumbling, insisting that its “navy is gone, air force in ruins, leaders, most of them are dead, IRGC commander decimated as we speak.”
The address from the White House by the American leader is also coming at a pivotal moment as he faces accusations that he has lost control of the conflict and will not be able to achieve the key aims of the war. Soon after the start of the war, Trump continued to claim that the US had already won the war and refused to take responsibility for the economic fallout that had spread across the world.
In his speech, Trump gave an operational update on the progress of Operation Epic Fury, while highlighting the military’s “success in achieving all of its stated goals”. In a bid to justify war in Iran, Trump claimed that the West Asian nation was “right at the doorstep” of gaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump maintained that America’s core strategic objectives are nearing completion, and he is close to “finishing the job” in Iran. He has once again set out a timeline of “two to three weeks”. He went on to condemn US allies for failing to take part in the operation against Iran – and told them that they must take responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
He emphasised that over the last few days, the US has not relied on the strait for its oil, so it will not take responsibility for reopening the vital waterway. He went back to the time when he first ran for the White House. “From the very beginning of my campaign for president in 2015, I said I would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. This regime has been chanting death to America, death to Israel,” he said.
The American president warned that the Iranian missiles would soon be able to “reach the American homeland, Europe, virtually any other place on earth.” It is pertinent to note that last month, Iran attempted to strike a US-UK base over 2,000 miles off its coast, prompting questions about Tehran’s military capabilities and whether it could hit targets further than previously thought.
“They wanted to produce as many missiles as possible, and they did with the longest range possible, and they had some weapons that nobody believed they had. We just learned that. We took them out. We took them all out,” he said.
Trump went on to frame the Iran war as a necessary step for the “safety of America and the security of the free world.” In his primetime address, Trump called the war a response to 47 years of violence by Iran and its proxies, recalling the bombing of a Marine barracks nearly 40 years ago and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
“For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat,” he said. “The most violent and thuggish regime on Earth would be free to carry out its campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield,” he averred.
When asked about the 970 pounds of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium that international inspectors say is likely buried at two sites in Iran — enough to make 10 to a dozen bombs- Trump said the issue is "no longer a worry" to him. “We’ll always be watching it by satellite,” the president was quoted as saying.
It is pertinent to note that this was the second time in 24 hours that Trump had declared that the nuclear problem with Iran had been solved, despite all evidence to the contrary. American intelligence agencies have been watching Iran’s nuclear sites by satellites for years, with particular intensity since the US attacks in June last year.
What made Trump's latest statement significant was the fact that it goes against his constant claim that a nuclear-armed Iran would be an existential threat to the United States and the world. He is also one of the key critics of the deal between former US President Barack Obama's administration and Iran. Hence, many are surprised by his latest statement.
Trump defends the war
In his first address to the nation since the start of the war, Trump said Iran’s military infrastructure is crumbling, insisting that its “navy is gone, air force in ruins, leaders, most of them are dead, IRGC commander decimated as we speak.”
The address from the White House by the American leader is also coming at a pivotal moment as he faces accusations that he has lost control of the conflict and will not be able to achieve the key aims of the war. Soon after the start of the war, Trump continued to claim that the US had already won the war and refused to take responsibility for the economic fallout that had spread across the world.
In his speech, Trump gave an operational update on the progress of Operation Epic Fury, while highlighting the military’s “success in achieving all of its stated goals”. In a bid to justify war in Iran, Trump claimed that the West Asian nation was “right at the doorstep” of gaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump maintained that America’s core strategic objectives are nearing completion, and he is close to “finishing the job” in Iran. He has once again set out a timeline of “two to three weeks”. He went on to condemn US allies for failing to take part in the operation against Iran – and told them that they must take responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
He emphasised that over the last few days, the US has not relied on the strait for its oil, so it will not take responsibility for reopening the vital waterway. He went back to the time when he first ran for the White House. “From the very beginning of my campaign for president in 2015, I said I would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. This regime has been chanting death to America, death to Israel,” he said.
The American president warned that the Iranian missiles would soon be able to “reach the American homeland, Europe, virtually any other place on earth.” It is pertinent to note that last month, Iran attempted to strike a US-UK base over 2,000 miles off its coast, prompting questions about Tehran’s military capabilities and whether it could hit targets further than previously thought.
“They wanted to produce as many missiles as possible, and they did with the longest range possible, and they had some weapons that nobody believed they had. We just learned that. We took them out. We took them all out,” he said.
Trump went on to frame the Iran war as a necessary step for the “safety of America and the security of the free world.” In his primetime address, Trump called the war a response to 47 years of violence by Iran and its proxies, recalling the bombing of a Marine barracks nearly 40 years ago and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
“For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat,” he said. “The most violent and thuggish regime on Earth would be free to carry out its campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield,” he averred.
