Trump praises US Israel campaign saying Iran devastated but warns mission continues until threat eliminated
Speaking at a rally in Kentucky, Donald Trump declared that the United States must “finish the job” in the ongoing war with Iran following what he described as overwhelming military success during the campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.
Trump told supporters that the military operation achieved decisive success within the opening phase of the conflict. He said the scale and speed of the strikes caught Iranian leadership off guard and significantly weakened the country’s military infrastructure.
According to the president, the campaign conducted jointly by the United States and Israel has already inflicted severe damage on Iran’s military capabilities. Trump said Iranian forces were overwhelmed by the intensity of the strikes and struggled to respond effectively.
Trump emphasized that despite what he described as major battlefield victories, the United States should not withdraw prematurely. He warned that failing to fully neutralize Iran’s military capabilities could allow the threat to reemerge in the future.
Earlier in the day, speaking outside the White House, Trump praised the performance of the US armed forces and described the campaign as a response to decades of conflict with Iran. He said the American military had carried out operations that many analysts previously believed were impossible.
Trump also claimed that the campaign has severely damaged Iran’s navy, air force, and air defense systems while eliminating key military and political leaders, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the opening stage of the strikes.
The president added that additional targets still remain but suggested that many of Iran’s strategic assets have already been destroyed. According to Trump, some remaining infrastructure has deliberately been left untouched for now but could be eliminated quickly if necessary.
In earlier remarks to Axios, Trump said the military campaign had exceeded initial expectations. He claimed that the scale of damage inflicted on Iranian targets had surpassed projections originally set for a six-week operation.
Trump described the war effort as moving ahead of schedule and said the coalition had already destroyed a significant portion of Iran’s strategic capabilities. He added that the damage to Iranian infrastructure has been so extensive that there are now relatively few high-value targets remaining.
Despite the claims of major success, Trump reiterated that the United States will continue the campaign until the objectives of the operation are fully achieved.
