【Iran Crisis】Dozens of oil tankers approach the strait attempting to breach; Iran issues warnings. Trump press conference: Iran war will end soon but refuses to commit to a timeline (updating continuously)

Oil prices plummeted by 10%. Brent crude fell 9% to $90.3, and WTI dropped 8% to $87. Reports indicate large-scale strikes erupted in Tehran and Karaj, with Isfahan and Tabriz also reporting protests. Tehran experienced widespread power outages.

After Trump’s speech, according to shipping sources, dozens of oil tankers are approaching the Strait of Hormuz, seemingly attempting to pass through. As of 7:38 a.m., they are very close to the strait, with tense situations developing.

Trump stated that the U.S. military has deployed strong forces and mine-clearing equipment in the Strait of Hormuz, and will provide “political risk insurance” and escort for commercial ships if necessary. He emphasized that Iran must not be allowed to cut off global oil supplies.

According to semi-official Iranian media, Fars News Agency, a senior Iranian military official warned, “Until further notice, we will not allow even a single liter of oil to be exported to hostile parties and their allies.”

🔴 One senior Iranian military official told Al Mayadeen: “Until further notice, we will not allow even a liter of oil to be exported in the region to hostile parties and their partners.”
— Fars News Agency (@FarsNews_Agency) March 9, 2026

Trump held a press conference, refusing to promise an end to the war “within days or this week,” but stressing it will be “very quick.” He highlighted that Iran’s military assets—including navy, air force, radar, and leadership—have been almost entirely destroyed, so the operation will not take long. He noted that current military progress is unprecedented; progress that was expected to take a month has been achieved ahead of schedule.

He claimed to have dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s military, sinking 51 naval vessels, destroying its drone manufacturing facilities, and reducing missile capabilities to below 10%. Over 5,000 targets have been struck, including the elimination of Iran’s top leadership (two to three times). Deep underground nuclear facilities intended for covert reconstruction have been destroyed, preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

He stated that Iran’s power grid and critical infrastructure remain intact as leverage; any retaliation would lead to catastrophic consequences. He said the most dangerous phase of the war was over within three days.

He called for Iran to nominate a new leader willing to pursue peace. He expressed disappointment that Iran’s Supreme Leader is the son of Khamenei.

He emphasized that securing the Strait of Hormuz is mainly to stabilize the global economy, explicitly mentioning that this action helps countries like China that rely on the strait. “I want to keep it open. I want to keep it good. You know, it doesn’t affect us as much as it does China. We’re actually helping China and other countries because they get a lot of energy through the strait. But we have good relations with China. I’m proud to do this.”

Summary of the press conference:

"Over the past weekend, the U.S. military and Israeli Defense Forces continued to execute Operation Epic Fury with unprecedented success. Over nine days, they launched the most powerful and complex military strikes and tactical exercises in history. When you add these actions to other achievements—such as Operation Midnight Hammer, which eliminated Iran’s nuclear threat entirely, and successes in Venezuela and elsewhere—the victories are enormous.

"While advancing these operations, we have also made significant progress in achieving military objectives. Some might say these goals are nearly fulfilled. We have thoroughly and completely destroyed every armed force inside Iran. Most of their navy has been sunk—51 vessels, I was told. I didn’t even know they had so many ships, but they didn’t last long. These are combat vessels meant for fighting, but they are no match for us.

"We continue to target Iran’s drone and missile capabilities. Their drone numbers have sharply decreased. Their drone manufacturing plants are under full attack from today. We have seized all their drone production sites and are destroying them one by one. Their missile capabilities have dropped to about 10%, possibly less. We have also precisely targeted their missile manufacturing and transportation facilities. To date, we have struck over 5,000 targets, including critical strategic sites. Some of the most important targets are being held back for future use; if struck, Iran would need many years to rebuild, affecting power generation and other vital infrastructure. We prefer not to go that far unless absolutely necessary. These targets are easy to hit but would cause devastating consequences if hit. We are monitoring the situation and will decide whether to strike them. We could destroy all of them in a day.

"The entire operation has caused about 90% of Iran’s military capabilities to decline across all sectors, especially their missile launchers. Drone launchers are down 83%. Their missile launchers are over 90% diminished—these are highly sophisticated and hard-to-replicate devices. Usually, with our advanced equipment and top-tier personnel, we can destroy a launcher within five minutes or less after it fires a missile.

"Now, we have low-cost intercept systems that effectively counter Iran’s drones. Our B-2 bombers recently dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrating bombs across Iran to destroy missile launchers, often penetrating underground where the soil cannot withstand such strikes. We are also rapidly destroying their drone and missile manufacturing bases—knowing their exact locations and eliminating them at an unprecedented pace. Our progress has far exceeded initial timelines; I dare say, we never expected to achieve this level of success in just a month.

"Furthermore, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, we had to intervene. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) to hesitate to take decisive action for the benefit of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. We believe they should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful change. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the USS Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and now veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to operate and utilize these assets, and that’s what we value most.

"Even after we have thoroughly destroyed their key nuclear facilities, Iran has never genuinely negotiated during Midnight Hammer. They insist on producing nuclear weapons, refusing to dilute uranium to acceptable levels. They even rejected a generous offer to supply nuclear fuel for free for civilian purposes. We proposed to supply nuclear fuel for free, but they weren’t interested—they only want nuclear weapons.

"Therefore, the regime is trying to secretly rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. They can’t return to the three sites we destroyed, so they are working in another concealed location, protected by hard granite. They aim to go deeper underground. They have started this process while rapidly developing traditional ballistic missiles. They plan to pursue both simultaneously, threatening our overseas bases and soon our homeland. Their evil plan is to use exponentially increasing missile threats to make it nearly impossible for the world to prevent their eventual nuclear capability.

"So, as you can see, they once had an astonishing number of missiles, most of which are now expended or destroyed, and their use has been disastrous—thanks to our ability to intercept and shoot down nearly all of them. Our defense systems are incredible. Patriot missiles, THAAD, and advanced naval destroyers have intercepted hundreds of incoming threats. Our laser technology is also rapidly advancing and will soon be fully operational. We will have laser weapons capable of low-cost, precise strikes with Patriot and other defense systems.

"The situation is rapidly approaching an irreversible point, and the U.S. considers this unacceptable. Based on intelligence—deeply involved—I believed they were about to attack us. I am convinced that if we hadn’t preempted, they intended to strike the U.S… If you notice, they did something extremely foolish—they attacked their neighbors, who are mostly neutral or unwilling to get involved, but they were attacked without cause. This backfired: those neighbors turned to us and began to fight back successfully. Look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar—they are strong and smart but were attacked. When I first heard this, I thought, no, someone must have misread the intelligence. But it wasn’t a mistake. The UAE was hit with over 1,000 missiles but nearly all were shot down.

"On my first day in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.’ Now I am fulfilling that promise. Remember, that was a warning I issued in 2015. It was a threat, which later grew bigger, but now it’s no longer a threat—at least for a long time. We want to keep it that way.

"As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we are also highly focused on ensuring the smooth flow of global energy and oil. I will never allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and try to cut off global oil supplies. If Iran takes reckless action, they will face far harsher destruction than now. I will destroy those critical infrastructure targets I mentioned. We will do so very quickly. They will never recover. If they want to play this dangerous game, they should think twice. In the long run, without Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear threats, or other threats, oil supplies will be much safer. The Strait of Hormuz will remain absolutely secure. We have deployed a large fleet of powerful naval vessels and top mine-clearing equipment. Most of their ships are already sunk.

"But we will strike them so hard that no one—no one—will be able to regain influence in that region as long as they dare to act recklessly. Over recent years, their regime and terrorist proxies have indiscriminately attacked hundreds of commercial ships. We are ending this threat. The ultimate result will be significantly lower oil and natural gas prices for American families. We have already achieved that, bringing prices down very low. This is a necessary military action to address a grave threat. We are very close to fully accomplishing this goal.

"During this brief interruption, the U.S. will provide political risk insurance for any oil tankers operating in the Persian Gulf. We may escort them personally if needed. I don’t think it will be necessary, but if it is, we will escort them safely through the strait. We have the world’s most powerful mine-clearing capabilities, the largest invincible fleet, and precise knowledge of their minefield locations. We will clear them quickly. Our progress has far outpaced initial timelines. I dare say, we never expected to make such progress in just a month.

"Additionally, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, intervention was necessary. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) hesitating to act decisively for the good of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. They should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful reform. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to operate and utilize these assets, and that’s what we value most.

"Even after we have thoroughly destroyed their key nuclear facilities, Iran has never genuinely negotiated during Midnight Hammer. They insist on producing nuclear weapons, refusing to dilute uranium to acceptable levels. They even rejected a generous offer to supply nuclear fuel for free for civilian purposes. We proposed to supply nuclear fuel for free, but they weren’t interested—they only want nuclear weapons.

"Therefore, the regime is trying to secretly rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. They can’t return to the three sites we destroyed, so they are working in another concealed location, protected by hard granite. They aim to go deeper underground. They have started this process while rapidly developing traditional ballistic missiles. They plan to pursue both simultaneously, threatening our overseas bases and soon our homeland. Their evil plan is to use exponentially increasing missile threats to make it nearly impossible for the world to prevent their eventual nuclear capability.

"So, as you can see, they once had an astonishing number of missiles, most of which are now expended or destroyed, and their use has been disastrous—thanks to our ability to intercept and shoot down nearly all of them. Our defense systems are incredible. Patriot missiles, THAAD, and advanced naval destroyers have intercepted hundreds of incoming threats. Our laser technology is also rapidly advancing and will soon be fully operational. We will have laser weapons capable of low-cost, precise strikes with Patriot and other defense systems.

"The situation is rapidly approaching an irreversible point, and the U.S. considers this unacceptable. Based on intelligence—deeply involved—I believed they were about to attack us. I am convinced that if we hadn’t preempted, they intended to strike the U.S… If you notice, they did something extremely foolish—they attacked their neighbors, who are mostly neutral or unwilling to get involved, but they were attacked without cause. This backfired: those neighbors turned to us and began to fight back successfully. Look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar—they are strong and smart but were attacked. When I first heard this, I thought, no, someone must have misread the intelligence. But it wasn’t a mistake. The UAE was hit with over 1,000 missiles but nearly all were shot down.

"On my first day in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.’ Now I am fulfilling that promise. Remember, that was a warning I issued in 2015. It was a threat, which later grew bigger, but now it’s no longer a threat—at least for a long time. We want to keep it that way.

"As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we are also highly focused on ensuring the smooth flow of global energy and oil. I will never allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and try to cut off global oil supplies. If Iran takes reckless action, they will face far harsher destruction than now. I will destroy those critical infrastructure targets I mentioned. We will do so very quickly. They will never recover. If they want to play this dangerous game, they should think twice. In the long run, without Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear threats, or other threats, oil supplies will be much safer. The Strait of Hormuz will remain absolutely secure. We have deployed a large fleet of powerful naval vessels and top mine-clearing equipment. Most of their ships are already sunk.

"But we will strike them so hard that no one—no one—will be able to regain influence in that region as long as they dare to act recklessly. Over recent years, their regime and terrorist proxies have indiscriminately attacked hundreds of commercial ships. We are ending this threat. The ultimate result will be significantly lower oil and natural gas prices for American families. We have already achieved that, bringing prices down very low. This is a necessary military action to address a grave threat. We are very close to fully accomplishing this goal.

"During this brief interruption, the U.S. will provide political risk insurance for any oil tankers operating in the Persian Gulf. We may escort them personally if needed. I don’t think it will be necessary, but if it is, we will escort them safely through the strait. We have the world’s most powerful mine-clearing capabilities, the largest invincible fleet, and precise knowledge of their minefield locations. We will clear them quickly. Our progress has far outpaced initial timelines. I dare say, we never expected to make such progress in just a month.

"Additionally, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, intervention was necessary. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) hesitating to act decisively for the good of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. They should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful reform. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to operate and utilize these assets, and that’s what we value most.

"Even after we have thoroughly destroyed their key nuclear facilities, Iran has never genuinely negotiated during Midnight Hammer. They insist on producing nuclear weapons, refusing to dilute uranium to acceptable levels. They even rejected a generous offer to supply nuclear fuel for free for civilian purposes. We proposed to supply nuclear fuel for free, but they weren’t interested—they only want nuclear weapons.

"Therefore, the regime is trying to secretly rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. They can’t return to the three sites we destroyed, so they are working in another concealed location, protected by hard granite. They aim to go deeper underground. They have started this process while rapidly developing traditional ballistic missiles. They plan to pursue both simultaneously, threatening our overseas bases and soon our homeland. Their evil plan is to use exponentially increasing missile threats to make it nearly impossible for the world to prevent their eventual nuclear capability.

"So, as you can see, they once had an astonishing number of missiles, most of which are now expended or destroyed, and their use has been disastrous—thanks to our ability to intercept and shoot down nearly all of them. Our defense systems are incredible. Patriot missiles, THAAD, and advanced naval destroyers have intercepted hundreds of incoming threats. Our laser technology is also rapidly advancing and will soon be fully operational. We will have laser weapons capable of low-cost, precise strikes with Patriot and other defense systems.

"The situation is rapidly approaching an irreversible point, and the U.S. considers this unacceptable. Based on intelligence—deeply involved—I believed they were about to attack us. I am convinced that if we hadn’t preempted, they intended to strike the U.S… If you notice, they did something extremely foolish—they attacked their neighbors, who are mostly neutral or unwilling to get involved, but they were attacked without cause. This backfired: those neighbors turned to us and began to fight back successfully. Look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar—they are strong and smart but were attacked. When I first heard this, I thought, no, someone must have misread the intelligence. But it wasn’t a mistake. The UAE was hit with over 1,000 missiles but nearly all were shot down.

"On my first day in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.’ Now I am fulfilling that promise. Remember, that was a warning I issued in 2015. It was a threat, which later grew bigger, but now it’s no longer a threat—at least for a long time. We want to keep it that way.

"As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we are also highly focused on ensuring the smooth flow of global energy and oil. I will never allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and try to cut off global oil supplies. If Iran takes reckless action, they will face far harsher destruction than now. I will destroy those critical infrastructure targets I mentioned. We will do so very quickly. They will never recover. If they want to play this dangerous game, they should think twice. In the long run, without Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear threats, or other threats, oil supplies will be much safer. The Strait of Hormuz will remain absolutely secure. We have deployed a large fleet of powerful naval vessels and top mine-clearing equipment. Most of their ships are already sunk.

"But we will strike them so hard that no one—no one—will be able to regain influence in that region as long as they dare to act recklessly. Over recent years, their regime and terrorist proxies have indiscriminately attacked hundreds of commercial ships. We are ending this threat. The ultimate result will be significantly lower oil and natural gas prices for American families. We have already achieved that, bringing prices down very low. This is a necessary military action to address a grave threat. We are very close to fully accomplishing this goal.

"During this brief interruption, the U.S. will provide political risk insurance for any oil tankers operating in the Persian Gulf. We may escort them personally if needed. I don’t think it will be necessary, but if it is, we will escort them safely through the strait. We have the world’s most powerful mine-clearing capabilities, the largest invincible fleet, and precise knowledge of their minefield locations. We will clear them quickly. Our progress has far outpaced initial timelines. I dare say, we never expected to make such progress in just a month.

"Additionally, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, intervention was necessary. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) hesitating to act decisively for the good of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. They should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful reform. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to operate and utilize these assets, and that’s what we value most.

"Even after we have thoroughly destroyed their key nuclear facilities, Iran has never genuinely negotiated during Midnight Hammer. They insist on producing nuclear weapons, refusing to dilute uranium to acceptable levels. They even rejected a generous offer to supply nuclear fuel for free for civilian purposes. We proposed to supply nuclear fuel for free, but they weren’t interested—they only want nuclear weapons.

"Therefore, the regime is trying to secretly rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. They can’t return to the three sites we destroyed, so they are working in another concealed location, protected by hard granite. They aim to go deeper underground. They have started this process while rapidly developing traditional ballistic missiles. They plan to pursue both simultaneously, threatening our overseas bases and soon our homeland. Their evil plan is to use exponentially increasing missile threats to make it nearly impossible for the world to prevent their eventual nuclear capability.

"So, as you can see, they once had an astonishing number of missiles, most of which are now expended or destroyed, and their use has been disastrous—thanks to our ability to intercept and shoot down nearly all of them. Our defense systems are incredible. Patriot missiles, THAAD, and advanced naval destroyers have intercepted hundreds of incoming threats. Our laser technology is also rapidly advancing and will soon be fully operational. We will have laser weapons capable of low-cost, precise strikes with Patriot and other defense systems.

"The situation is rapidly approaching an irreversible point, and the U.S. considers this unacceptable. Based on intelligence—deeply involved—I believed they were about to attack us. I am convinced that if we hadn’t preempted, they intended to strike the U.S… If you notice, they did something extremely foolish—they attacked their neighbors, who are mostly neutral or unwilling to get involved, but they were attacked without cause. This backfired: those neighbors turned to us and began to fight back successfully. Look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar—they are strong and smart but were attacked. When I first heard this, I thought, no, someone must have misread the intelligence. But it wasn’t a mistake. The UAE was hit with over 1,000 missiles but nearly all were shot down.

"On my first day in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.’ Now I am fulfilling that promise. Remember, that was a warning I issued in 2015. It was a threat, which later grew bigger, but now it’s no longer a threat—at least for a long time. We want to keep it that way.

"As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we are also highly focused on ensuring the smooth flow of global energy and oil. I will never allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and try to cut off global oil supplies. If Iran takes reckless action, they will face far harsher destruction than now. I will destroy those critical infrastructure targets I mentioned. We will do so very quickly. They will never recover. If they want to play this dangerous game, they should think twice. In the long run, without Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear threats, or other threats, oil supplies will be much safer. The Strait of Hormuz will remain absolutely secure. We have deployed a large fleet of powerful naval vessels and top mine-clearing equipment. Most of their ships are already sunk.

"But we will strike them so hard that no one—no one—will be able to regain influence in that region as long as they dare to act recklessly. Over recent years, their regime and terrorist proxies have indiscriminately attacked hundreds of commercial ships. We are ending this threat. The ultimate result will be significantly lower oil and natural gas prices for American families. We have already achieved that, bringing prices down very low. This is a necessary military action to address a grave threat. We are very close to fully accomplishing this goal.

"During this brief interruption, the U.S. will provide political risk insurance for any oil tankers operating in the Persian Gulf. We may escort them personally if needed. I don’t think it will be necessary, but if it is, we will escort them safely through the strait. We have the world’s most powerful mine-clearing capabilities, the largest invincible fleet, and precise knowledge of their minefield locations. We will clear them quickly. Our progress has far outpaced initial timelines. I dare say, we never expected to make such progress in just a month.

"Additionally, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, intervention was necessary. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) hesitating to act decisively for the good of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. They should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful reform. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to operate and utilize these assets, and that’s what we value most.

"Even after we have thoroughly destroyed their key nuclear facilities, Iran has never genuinely negotiated during Midnight Hammer. They insist on producing nuclear weapons, refusing to dilute uranium to acceptable levels. They even rejected a generous offer to supply nuclear fuel for free for civilian purposes. We proposed to supply nuclear fuel for free, but they weren’t interested—they only want nuclear weapons.

"Therefore, the regime is trying to secretly rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. They can’t return to the three sites we destroyed, so they are working in another concealed location, protected by hard granite. They aim to go deeper underground. They have started this process while rapidly developing traditional ballistic missiles. They plan to pursue both simultaneously, threatening our overseas bases and soon our homeland. Their evil plan is to use exponentially increasing missile threats to make it nearly impossible for the world to prevent their eventual nuclear capability.

"So, as you can see, they once had an astonishing number of missiles, most of which are now expended or destroyed, and their use has been disastrous—thanks to our ability to intercept and shoot down nearly all of them. Our defense systems are incredible. Patriot missiles, THAAD, and advanced naval destroyers have intercepted hundreds of incoming threats. Our laser technology is also rapidly advancing and will soon be fully operational. We will have laser weapons capable of low-cost, precise strikes with Patriot and other defense systems.

"The situation is rapidly approaching an irreversible point, and the U.S. considers this unacceptable. Based on intelligence—deeply involved—I believed they were about to attack us. I am convinced that if we hadn’t preempted, they intended to strike the U.S… If you notice, they did something extremely foolish—they attacked their neighbors, who are mostly neutral or unwilling to get involved, but they were attacked without cause. This backfired: those neighbors turned to us and began to fight back successfully. Look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar—they are strong and smart but were attacked. When I first heard this, I thought, no, someone must have misread the intelligence. But it wasn’t a mistake. The UAE was hit with over 1,000 missiles but nearly all were shot down.

"On my first day in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.’ Now I am fulfilling that promise. Remember, that was a warning I issued in 2015. It was a threat, which later grew bigger, but now it’s no longer a threat—at least for a long time. We want to keep it that way.

"As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we are also highly focused on ensuring the smooth flow of global energy and oil. I will never allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and try to cut off global oil supplies. If Iran takes reckless action, they will face far harsher destruction than now. I will destroy those critical infrastructure targets I mentioned. We will do so very quickly. They will never recover. If they want to play this dangerous game, they should think twice. In the long run, without Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear threats, or other threats, oil supplies will be much safer. The Strait of Hormuz will remain absolutely secure. We have deployed a large fleet of powerful naval vessels and top mine-clearing equipment. Most of their ships are already sunk.

"But we will strike them so hard that no one—no one—will be able to regain influence in that region as long as they dare to act recklessly. Over recent years, their regime and terrorist proxies have indiscriminately attacked hundreds of commercial ships. We are ending this threat. The ultimate result will be significantly lower oil and natural gas prices for American families. We have already achieved that, bringing prices down very low. This is a necessary military action to address a grave threat. We are very close to fully accomplishing this goal.

"During this brief interruption, the U.S. will provide political risk insurance for any oil tankers operating in the Persian Gulf. We may escort them personally if needed. I don’t think it will be necessary, but if it is, we will escort them safely through the strait. We have the world’s most powerful mine-clearing capabilities, the largest invincible fleet, and precise knowledge of their minefield locations. We will clear them quickly. Our progress has far outpaced initial timelines. I dare say, we never expected to make such progress in just a month.

"Additionally, we have eliminated their top leadership two or three times. As you know, intervention was necessary. We don’t want a future president (if it’s someone else) hesitating to act decisively for the good of the world and our country, risking us falling into the same quagmire in five or ten years. They should nominate a new president or leader capable of peaceful reform. They have been killing for 47 years—attacks, explosions, the Cole bombing—they’ve been deeply involved, despite denials. They are responsible for all these tragedies, including those who died and veterans who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries. The Iranian regime has been attacking Americans and spreading terrorism worldwide for 47 years.

"Despite numerous opportunities to abandon nuclear ambitions—recently they clung to them and even told Witkoff they wanted to continue building nuclear weapons. If we hadn’t launched Midnight Hammer and destroyed their nuclear capacity, they would already have nuclear weapons and would have used them. At least Israel would be in grave danger. We are fortunate to have the courage to act, with talented pilots and excellent equipment. The B-2s are incredible. (By the way, we’ve ordered 25 upgraded, better versions.) Our military is the greatest in the world, far ahead of others. Wherever we go, you can see it. But it takes the best personnel to o