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President Trump says ‘big scale hitting’ will soon start against Iran
President Trump publicly addressed the escalating conflict with Iran, discussing the rationale behind the U.S. strikes and the subsequent impact on Americans in the region.
President Donald Trump said the conflict in Iran is going to escalate while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday.”The big scale hitting goes now,” Trump said. “They no longer have air protection. They no longer have any detection facilities at all left.” The president also rejected the idea that Israel forced his hand on the timing of the strikes, “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” Trump told reporters. “You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics. And it was my opinion that they were going to attack first.”Senior administration officials have indicated that the negotiations centered on Iran’s nuclear program, with Tehran reportedly not negotiating in good faith and nearing weapons capability. Four days into the conflict, hundreds of people have been killed, and Iran is targeting U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed. This announcement has sent financial markets plunging and oil prices soaring.The urgency for Americans in the region is growing, with the State Department securing military and charter flights after nearly 3,000 Americans reached out for help. U.S. citizens in 14 countries are being advised to depart immediately. Trump was questioned on why evacuation efforts weren’t underway sooner, to which he responded, “Well, because it happened all very quickly.”Democratic leaders have criticized the president’s decision to strike Iran. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader, said, “Donald Trump, without justification and without coming to Congress, has gotten America into a Middle Eastern war that we know will not end well.”The president has signaled he is prepared for a prolonged fight, even as lawmakers debate the scope of his authority and the potential spread of the conflict. On social media, Trump stated that “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully,” with a “virtually unlimited” supply of “medium and upper medium grade” weapons.
President Donald Trump said the conflict in Iran is going to escalate while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday.
“The big scale hitting goes now,” Trump said. “They no longer have air protection. They no longer have any detection facilities at all left.”
The president also rejected the idea that Israel forced his hand on the timing of the strikes, “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” Trump told reporters. “You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics. And it was my opinion that they were going to attack first.”
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Senior administration officials have indicated that the negotiations centered on Iran’s nuclear program, with Tehran reportedly not negotiating in good faith and nearing weapons capability.
Four days into the conflict, hundreds of people have been killed, and Iran is targeting U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed. This announcement has sent financial markets plunging and oil prices soaring.
The urgency for Americans in the region is growing, with the State Department securing military and charter flights after nearly 3,000 Americans reached out for help. U.S. citizens in 14 countries are being advised to depart immediately.
Trump was questioned on why evacuation efforts weren’t underway sooner, to which he responded, “Well, because it happened all very quickly.”
Democratic leaders have criticized the president’s decision to strike Iran. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader, said, “Donald Trump, without justification and without coming to Congress, has gotten America into a Middle Eastern war that we know will not end well.”
The president has signaled he is prepared for a prolonged fight, even as lawmakers debate the scope of his authority and the potential spread of the conflict.
On social media, Trump stated that “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully,” with a “virtually unlimited” supply of “medium and upper medium grade” weapons.
