Trump: Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace

Calling US strikes on Iran a “spectacular success”, US President Donald Trump warned that Iran “must now make peace”. On Saturday, Trump delivered an address to the nation after the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites, joining Israel’s effort to destroy the country’s nuclear program.

In his address, Trump referred to Iran as the “bully of the Middle East,” claiming that Tehran has been building “a destructive enterprise” for years. “Everyone heard those names for years as they built this horrible, destructive enterprise. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” he said.

He noted that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated” and the West Asian nation must now “make peace”. “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump averred.

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Make peace or pay the price

In the Saturday strikes, the US targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. Iran’s state-run IRNA News soon acknowledged the attack on early Sunday. Quoting a statement from Iran’s Qom province, IRNA said: “A few hours ago, when Qom air defences were activated and hostile targets were identified, part of the Fordow nuclear site was attacked by enemies.”

In his address, Trump made it clear that he could order further actions if Tehran does not agree to a satisfactory peace agreement. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror,” Trump said in remarks from the Cross Hall at the White House.

The strikes also came at a time when Tehran was in talks with the United States over a possible nuclear deal . During the Saturday address, Trump was joined by Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. He warned that the strikes could be the first in a wave of actions against Iran, which has been locked in conflict with Israel for nearly two weeks.

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Interestingly, Trump’s speech on Iran strikes came from the same place former President Obama delivered his address to the nation announcing the killing of Osama Bin Laden .