President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he authorized U.S. military strikes against Iran beginning Friday to prevent the country's nuclear weapons development and ballistic missile advancement. Trump indicated the operations are progressing faster than expected and could extend beyond his initial four to five week projection.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he has authorized U.S. military forces to conduct strikes against Iran with the goal of stopping Tehran’s nuclear weapons development and rapidly expanding ballistic missile capabilities.
Speaking from the White House East Room, Trump revealed that military operations he initiated on Friday are moving faster than anticipated. The president had initially estimated the campaign would run four to five weeks, though he acknowledged it might extend longer than planned.
The president stated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons serves as a primary motivation for the military action, despite Tehran’s denials of pursuing such capabilities. Trump also cited the need to disrupt Iran’s long-range ballistic missile development as a key objective.
During his White House appearance, Trump provided his most detailed public remarks about the conflict, following earlier video statements and brief media interviews over the weekend that sometimes presented conflicting goals for the military engagement.
The president reported that U.S. forces had successfully destroyed 10 Iranian naval vessels and conveyed optimism about the campaign’s progress thus far.
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