‘Last, best chance’: Donald Trump defends war on Iran, warns ‘big wave’ of US strikes yet to come

US President Donald Trump said that the United States launched military action against Iran because it represented the “last, best chance” to stop what he described as Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its backing of armed groups across West Asia. 

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Speaking at the White House during a ceremony awarding the Medal of Honor to three US soldiers, Trump said Washington had moved to eliminate what he called “intolerable threats” posed by the Iranian leadership. 

“This was our last, best chance to strike, what we’re doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said. 

The US President argued that Iran had for years supported militant groups beyond its borders, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthi movement in Yemen. 

Trump said the US military campaign was focused on destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons. He also claimed American forces had already struck Iranian naval assets. 

“Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and their capacity to produce brand new ones,” he said. “Second, we’re annihilating their navy. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon.” 

Trump said US operations against Iran were ongoing and could continue for weeks if necessary, adding that Washington had the capacity to sustain military action longer than initially projected. 

“We have capability to go far longer than that… whatever it takes,” he said. 

In separate interviews with US media, Trump also refused to rule out the possibility of deploying American ground troops in Iran if the conflict escalates. 

“Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump told the New York Post. “I say probably don’t need them — if they were necessary.” 

The president also warned that more intense military action could be on the way. “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” he said in remarks to CNN. 

His comments came as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to reassure allies that the conflict would not become a prolonged regional war. Speaking alongside US Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to eliminate Iran’s missile threat and ensure the country does not develop nuclear weapons. 

“This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said, referring to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. 

The Trump administration has so far provided limited on-camera briefings about the conflict. Apart from phone interviews with reporters, the president has not taken questions publicly since the strikes began.