Trump: Iran Would Have Attacked ‘Within a Week’

At a news conference Monday, President Trump addressed his earlier remarks in which he described the war as “very complete,” contrasting with a Pentagon statement on social media that read, “We Have Only Just Begun to Fight.” When asked whether the conflict represented an end or a beginning, Trump said, “It’s the beginning of building a new country,” a remark suggesting the U.S. may be involved in restructuring Iran, according to the AP.

Trump framed the war as serving global interests, particularly nations reliant on oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz. “I mean, we’re doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China,” he said.

War Expected to End “Pretty Soon”

Trump predicted the conflict would conclude “pretty soon” but added, “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough.” He said some of Iran’s most critical targets, including its electrical grid, were being preserved for potential future strikes, according to France24.

New Nuclear Site

The president explained that the war began after Iran reportedly started developing a new nuclear site to replace facilities bombed last year by the U.S. “But they were starting work at another site, a different site, different kind of a site—and that was protected by granite,” Trump said. He claimed Iran aimed to leverage its growing ballistic missile capabilities to make it almost impossible to stop them from obtaining nuclear weapons, adding that the country could otherwise dominate the Middle East.

Imminent Threat from Iran

Responding to Democratic critics who questioned the necessity of strikes against Iran, Trump said, “Within a week they were going to attack us, 100%. They were ready.” He did not provide evidence to support the claim but cited Iran’s extensive missile arsenal. Private briefings to Congress, however, indicated that U.S. intelligence did not see signs of an imminent Iranian strike, AP reports.

Mojtaba Khamenei

When asked about Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new leader, Trump said he was “disappointed” with the appointment but declined to comment on whether Khamenei would be a target, calling such discussion “inappropriate,” according to the Guardian.

Discussion with Putin

Trump reported having a “very good call” with Vladimir Putin on Monday, covering both the Ukraine conflict and developments in the Middle East, Reuters reports. He said Putin “wants to be helpful” in the Iran war but suggested resolving the Ukraine-Russia war first would be “more helpful.”

“Short-Term Excursion”

Earlier Monday, Trump addressed House Republican lawmakers at his golf club near Miami, describing the Middle East operation as a “little excursion” aimed at eliminating “some evil.” He added, “I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short-term excursion.”

Original Source