WASHINGTON — With fighting in Iran raging for over a month, President Trump sought to make the case that Operation Epic Fury is necessary, while teasing that the US is “nearing completion” of its “core strategic objectives.”
In his nearly 19-minute-long prime-time speech to the nation, Trump teased plans to bomb the theocratic regime in Iran “back to the stone ages” for two to three more weeks and framed the war as an “investment” for future generations.
Here are The Post’s key takeaways from the president’s wartime address, which echoed many of the points he has long made about the conflict since it began on Feb. 28.
1. ‘Nearing completion,’ but Trump doesn’t give the enemy a clear timeline
Over recent years, Trump has made a point of trying not to give too many signals to foreign adversaries about his limits. He has cited this as a reason for repeatedly refusing to rule out boots on the ground in Iran, for example.
But the president has to grapple with political pressure to wrap up the war soon, and wants to reassure a weary public that it won’t devolve into another so-called forever war.
So on Wednesday, he said the military campaign is almost done.
“I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard,” Trump declared. “Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.”
At another point, he added: “I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion.”
2. Trump hints that US may not need to invade to get Iran’s uranium
Throughout the war, rumors have swirled that Trump is contemplating a very risky military operation to retrieve the remnants of Iran’s nuclear program.
Extracting radioactive material buried under rubble deep behind enemy lines would be a very difficult feat to pull off, but Trump dropped a hint Wednesday evening that it might not be necessary because the US can simply monitor those sites from satellites.
“The nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust, and we have it under intense satellite surveillance and control,” Trump said.
“If we see them make a move, even a move for it will hit them with missiles very hard. Again. We have all the cards. They have none.”
Elsewhere in his speech, the president didn’t address the possibility of putting boots on the ground.
3. Trump makes a generational case for taking on Iran and preventing war for ‘your children’
As part of his case for ordering Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Trump framed the conflict as an “investment” in the future to rid America of the threat of Iran that it has faced for nearly five decades.
“This is a true investment in your children and your grandchildren’s future. The whole world is watching,” he said. “When it’s all over, the United States will be safer, stronger, more prosperous and greater than it has ever been before.”
4. Trump urges America to keep the timeline in perspective
While the war in Iran has crossed the one-month marker, Trump urged the public to keep it in perspective with past conflicts.
“World War I lasted one year, seven months and five days,” he said, rattling through several conflicts. “World War II lasted for three years, eight months and 25 days. The Korean War lasted for three years, one month and two days.”
“We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant, against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days, and the country has been eviscerated, and essentially is really no longer a threat.”
5. Trump puts the onus on other nations to step up
The president echoed his prior calls for other countries to “step up” and help free the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that Iran has unleashed havoc upon, where over a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil flows through annually.
“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage,” he said. “They must grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily. We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on.”
“I have a suggestion. Number one, buy oil from the United States of America. We have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage…go to the strait and just take it.”
6. Trump spooks markets, addresses gas concerns
It didn’t take long for markets to react to Trump’s speech. Oil futures shot up and futures for key index funds such as the Dow Jones quickly took a nosedive.
That marked a reversal from earlier this week when stock prices began to rebound amid an apparent belief that the war is winding down. While it didn’t reassure markets, Trump took some time during his speech to briefly address the market uproar.
“When this conflict is over, the Strait [of Hormuz] will open up naturally,” Trump predicted. “It will resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down. Stock prices will rapidly go back up. They haven’t come down very much.”
“We had to take that little journey to Iran to get rid of this horrible threat.”
7. Regime change ‘not our goal’
Significantly, the president flatly denied seeking regime change in Iran with Operation Epic Fury.
“Regime change was not our goal. We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leader’s death,” he said. “They’re all dead. The new group is less radical and much more reasonable.”
