‘As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Good morning…’
(Ben Sellers, Liberty Headlines) President Donald Trump addressed the nation—and the world—after Iran‘s recent missile-attack retaliation, offering overtures for de-escalation while standing firm on the possibility of greater force and sanctions should the rogue Islamic republic proceed on its current path.
Making sure that the left-wing media outlets present did not bury the lede in their articles, Trump began: “As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Good morning…”
LIVE: President @realDonaldTrump Addresses the Nation https://t.co/vRH9gVAD0N
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 8, 2020
The president defended the decision earlier this week to take out top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, saying that his hands were “drenched with blood.”
Trump confirmed that Soleimani, who was killed by an airstrike near the Baghdad airport alongside a local militia leader, had orchestrated the weekend attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraq—one that drew parallels from many in the media to the shocking 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.
Some have speculated that Soleimani was also responsible for that attack, widely considered to be one of the major foreign policy disasters during Barack Obama‘s first term as president.
Trump also pinned responsibility for Iran’s current terrorist activities on the Obama administration’s decision to release more than $150 billion in frozen assets and other kickbacks with its controversial Iran nuclear deal.
Attacks on U.S. interests and allies in hot zones such as Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz—not to mention Iran’s funding of Palestinian terror groups against Israel—have been “paid for with the funds made available by the last administration,” Trump said.
“… Instead of saying ‘thank you’ to the United States, they [Iran] chanted ‘death to America,'” he continued.
The president, who quickly withdrew from the Obama deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran, said he planned to impose additional economic sanctions, although he did not specify what form those might take.
He also called on other nations who had signed the John Kerry-brokered Vienna accord—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—to recognize its failure and “break away from the remnants of the Iran deal.”
In recent days, Iran has openly flouted the restrictions on uranium enrichment—although past evidence suggested that it was already doing so covertly, with few mechanisms in place to verify or enforce the terms of the deal.
“Today I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process,” Trump said.
Despite being hamstrung by global pressure to maintain regional stability, Trump said that the U.S. energy independence achieved under his administration had opened the door to new options, making it no longer beholden to the price-gouging whims and fancies of OPEC.
Additionally, he said military preparations had led to new advancements, such as hypersonic artillery.
“Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal and fast,” Trump said.
However, he seemed to commend Iran for its apparent “standing down” in what some consider to be little more than a face-saving missile attack on a U.S. base in Iraq late Tuesday.
No casualties were sustained in the attack, and the base suffered “only minimal damage,” Trump reported.
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020
Trump closed by seeking common ground with Iran, highlighting the possibility of cooperation in mutually beneficial areas such as the recent eradication of ISIS in parts of neighboring Syria, Turkey and Iraq.
“The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran, and we should work together on this and other priorities,” he said.
To the people and leaders of Iran, he said, “We want you to have a future. … The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”