President Donald Trump: Thank you very much. A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.
Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success; Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.
Fact Check: The operation was codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer” and involved seven B-2 Spirit bombers dropping 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, along with Tomahawk missiles from submarines.
Satellite images confirm visible craters and major surface destruction at Fordow and damage to above-ground structures at Natanz and Isfahan.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and independent analysts stress that the full extent of underground damage, especially to deeply buried centrifuge halls, is still unknown and cannot yet be confirmed as “obliterated.”
Trump: For 40 years, Iran has been saying, “Death to America, Death to Israel.” They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty.
Fact Check: The “Death to America/Israel” slogan has been used by the Iranian regime since 1979.
Many Iranians blamed the United States for supporting the Shah’s authoritarian regime and for its role in the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh.
The chant became especially prominent during the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, which led to the Iran hostage crisis. Protesters regularly shouted “Death to America” outside the embassy, and it became a rallying cry for the revolutionary movement.
The slogan was intended as an expression of outrage at U.S. government policies and perceived imperialism, not a literal call for violence against American people. Iranian leaders, including Khomeini and later Ali Khamenei, have said it refers to opposition to U.S. government actions and “arrogance,” rather than to Americans as individuals.
Trump: We lost over 1000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate. In particular, so many were killed by General Qasem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not
continue.
Fact Check: This claim likely refers to total U.S. military casualties in Iraq, where Iran-backed militias were active. Total U.S. military deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom were 4,419. However, deaths specifically attributed to Iranian-supplied explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) were significantly lower – approximately 196 U.S. troops killed by EFPs between 2005-2011 .
Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike on January 3, 2020, during Trump’s first presidency.
Trump: I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a
team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this
horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done,
and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those
magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of
which the world has not seen in many, many decades.
Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so. I also want to congratulate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan “Raizin” Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack. With all of that being said, this cannot continue.
There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.
Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.
Fact Check: While the U.S. military’s capabilities are extensive, particularly regarding bunker-busting munitions like the GBU-57 used in the operation, this represents a subjective assessment rather than a verifiable fact.
Tomorrow, General Kaine, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will have a press conference at
8am at the Pentagon.
And I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God, I want to just say we love you, God; and we love our great military, protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.
