Trump says it would be ‘intolerable’ for Iran to have nuclear weapons

President Trump on Wednesday made the case to a skeptical American public that the military operation in Iran is necessary to stop Tehran from building a nuclear weapon.

“Operation Epic Fury is necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world,” Mr. Trump said.

“This murderous regime also recently killed 45,000 of their own people who were protesting in Iran,” he said. “For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat. The most violent and thuggish regime on earth would be free to carry out their campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield.”

“I will never let that happen,” Mr. Trump said.

The president framed the war as necessary to keep America and its allies safe, emphasizing repeatedly that the conflict is not about acquiring Iranian oil.

“We don’t have to be there. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need anything they have, but we’re there to help our allies,” he said.

Mr. Trump’s remarks were delivered in his first prime-time address to update the nation on the Iran war. It comes amid Mr. Trump’s repeated warnings that fighting will continue for a few more weeks and threats to withdraw the U.S. from NATO, which has frustrated Mr. Trump with its unwillingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The address came thirty-three days into Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel military operation against Iran.

Mr. Trump’s decision to address the nation underscored his awareness that the American public isn’t sold on the war.

A recent CBS News poll found that 60% of Americans disapprove of the U.S. military action in Iran, and 67% said they are unwilling to pay more for gasoline because of the conflict.

The president said that from the start of his political career, he vowed to “never allow” Iran to have a nuclear weapon and detailed several attacks by Iran’s fanatical regime that he said justified the military operation.

He also blamed past presidents for inaction, specifically President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran that included paying Iran $1.7 billion in cash.

“I will never let that happen, and neither should any of our past presidents,” the president said of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. “This situation has been going on for 47 years, and should have been handled long before I arrived in office.”

The president said the U.S. is “nearing completion” on achieving its strategic objectives in Iran, but did not offer a specific timetable. He’s previously said the war could last for another two to three weeks.

Mr. Trump’s assessment that the U.S. will end the operation in “two or three weeks” would put the military operation beyond his initial assessment of 4-to-6 weeks, despite his insistence that the war is ahead of schedule. He said that the war could end sooner if Iran were willing to reach a deal.

The Pentagon has deployed hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces and thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers, expanding Mr. Trump’s military options if he chooses to escalate the conflict. Those forces could help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, invade Iran’s Kharg Island or storm Iran to capture its stockpile of enriched uranium.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway off the coast of Iran through which 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Though the U.S. does not rely on oil from the Middle East, the conflict rattled the global oil market and sent prices higher. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. surpassed $4 on Tuesday, the highest since 2022 under President Biden, when the prices continued to rise to $5 a gallon.

While Mr. Trump considers his military options, he has also lashed out at NATO allies. He is angered by their refusal to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas maritime passage controlled by Iran. He’s also been angered by NATO countries’ refusal to let the U.S. use their military bases to launch attacks against Iran.

European leaders have said that any efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would put their ships and troops in danger because Iran continues to attack tankers in the strait that they’ve deemed to be from unfriendly nations.

They also view the Iran war as one of Mr. Trump’s choosing and vented frustration that they were consulted on before the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks against the Middle East nation.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump warned Britain and France, two NATO allies, that the U.S. “won’t be there to help you anymore.”