Donald Trump says the United States is close to achieving its goals in Iran

The war was necessary, it is almost won, it will soon be over: after a month of conflict, Donald Trump tried to justify the military operation against Iran on Wednesday. He particularly mentioned that the United States were “close” to achieving their objectives.

On February 28, the American president had announced the start of the “Epic Fury” offensive through a pre-recorded video from his private residence in Florida, wearing a cap and no tie.

Wednesday, the Republican leader delivered a solemn live address from the White House, in a highly watched one-hour broadcast. He declared, “Over the past four weeks, our armed forces have achieved rapid, decisive, and overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories that few people have ever seen before.”

The speech, just under 20 minutes, was filled with hyperboles but was overall much more subdued than his impulsive and sometimes contradictory statements on his Truth Social network.

Discussions with Iran are ongoing, with Trump seeming to read from a teleprompter throughout, avoiding his usual off-the-cuff improvisations.

“This evening, I am happy to say that the fundamental strategic objectives are close to being fulfilled,” he affirmed, stating that the military operation should be completed within two to three weeks.

During this time, Iran will be hit “extremely hard”. Trump indicated that if ongoing discussions with Iranian leaders were not successful, he would strike “each of their power plants very hard and probably simultaneously.” “We will bring them back to the Stone Age where they belong,” he added.

The speech did not mention a possible deployment of ground troops, a highly unpopular prospect, nor did it include Trump’s usual attacks against NATO.

There was also a quick mention of Iran’s enriched uranium reserves (“nuclear dust,” as he calls it), with Trump claiming that they were deeply buried after US bombings in June 2025, implying that satellite surveillance would be sufficient for now.

Prior to the speech, a senior White House official outlined the “objectives” of the operation as they stand today, including “destroying” Iranian missile capabilities, “annihilating” the Iranian navy, ensuring that their terrorist allies can no longer destabilize the region, and guaranteeing that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.

There was no mention of a regime change that Trump has previously mentioned, and the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz was not discussed.

Americans, who will vote in a few months in decisive legislative elections, are mostly opposed to the conflict. Polls also show a drop in trust in the president’s ability to manage the country’s economy, reaching a low of 31% in a recent CNN/SSRS survey, the lowest in his political career.

(Source: afp/jtr)