WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump delivered a primetime address to the nation Wednesday night, providing an update on Operation Epic Fury and outlining what he described as significant military gains against Iran after one month of combat operations.
Speaking from the White House, Trump highlighted what he characterized as swift and decisive battlefield victories by U.S. forces, describing widespread damage to Iran’s military infrastructure and leadership structure.
“As we speak this evening, it has been just one month since the United States military began Operation Epic Fury targeting the world’s number one state sponsor of terror, Iran,” Trump said. “In these past four weeks, our Armed Forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before.”
Trump stated that Iran’s navy had been destroyed and its air force severely damaged, while also claiming that leaders within the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been eliminated or disrupted. He further said Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones had been dramatically reduced, with weapons factories and rocket launchers destroyed.
The president tied the military operation to his long-standing pledge to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a promise he said dates back to the beginning of his 2015 presidential campaign.
“From the very first day I announced my campaign for President in 2015, I have vowed that I would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, citing decades of threats against the United States and Israel by Iranian leaders and referencing past attacks linked to Iranian-backed forces.
Trump also pointed to actions taken during his previous term, including the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and the termination of the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he said were part of a broader strategy to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
He stated that diplomatic efforts had been attempted prior to the escalation but were ultimately unsuccessful. Trump referenced an earlier strike known as Operation Midnight Hammer, which he said targeted Iran’s key nuclear facilities after the regime continued its nuclear development efforts.
According to Trump, the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury remain focused on dismantling Iran’s ability to threaten the United States or project military power beyond its borders. He praised U.S. service members for their performance during the campaign and acknowledged the deaths of 13 American service members involved in the operation.
“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” Trump said. “Now, we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives.”
Trump also addressed domestic concerns about rising gasoline prices, attributing recent increases to Iranian attacks on commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries. He said those actions reinforced his administration’s position that Iran could not be trusted with nuclear weapons.
“To those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves, I have a suggestion,” Trump said. “Number one, buy oil from the United States of America; we have plenty.”
Looking ahead, Trump said U.S. forces are preparing to intensify military operations over the coming weeks.
“I have made clear from the beginning of Operation Epic Fury that we will continue until our objectives are fully achieved,” Trump said. “Thanks to the progress we’ve made, I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly.”
The president concluded his remarks by stating that the United States is nearing what he described as the end of Iran’s capacity to threaten the United States and its allies.
“Tonight, every American can look forward to a day when we are finally free from the wickedness of Iranian aggression and the specter of nuclear blackmail,” Trump said. “Because of the actions we have taken, we are on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America and the world.”
