US President Donald Trump said the United States should be reimbursed for protecting what he described as a very rich region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. He said the U.S. did not need Middle East oil because it had more oil than any other country and claimed that, when combined with Venezuela, it controlled more than 50% of the world’s oil supply. Trump said Washington would continue protecting its allies and had done “a very effective job.”
Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz remains open and will stay open, while announcing that the U.S. was restoring a blockade on Iran. He said the blockade would apply only to Iran, with countries doing business with Iran barred from passing, while all other vessels would be allowed to transit the strait. Trump said the blockade could be even more effective than military strikes and added that the U.S. was “controlling the strait.”
The U.S. President announced that the military would carry out “another very major attack” on Iran tonight. He said Iran had wanted a deal but backed away from an agreement reached two days earlier, adding that Tehran had been negotiating for 47 years and had repeatedly sought further negotiations. Trump said Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, claiming that without earlier U.S. B-2 bomber strikes, Tehran would have obtained one “long ago.” He also claimed Iran had recently fired missiles at five different countries.
Trump claimed U.S. operations over the past four months had destroyed Iran’s military capabilities. He said Iran’s navy had been eliminated, with “159 ships underwater,” its air force was now “non-existent” after losing 230 attack aircraft, and its radar and anti-aircraft systems had been destroyed. He also claimed the U.S. had knocked out about 92% of Iran’s drone manufacturing capability, 89% of its missile manufacturing capability, most of its missiles and drones, and said Iran’s first- and second-tier leadership were dead, with some third-tier leaders also killed.
Trump accused Iran of killing 52,000 protesters and many Americans, and said Tehran had broken agreements about 10 times. He also referred to the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani during his first presidential term, calling him an “evil genius” who had planned attacks on U.S. military installations in Iraq and Iran. Trump said Iran now had only limited military capability and described the conflict as “almost a military skirmish.”
Responding to reports of an Iranian drone presence in Cuba, Trump said the U.S. was investigating the matter. He said, “If they do have that and they might very well have that, we’ll take care of it,” adding that the administration would first determine the facts before taking any action.
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