US President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing confrontation with Iran during a campaign rally in Georgia on Saturday night, declaring that American military operations had severely weakened the Islamic Republic while reiterating his determination to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In his remarks, Trump defended his decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated by former President Barack Obama, saying he had terminated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) "just in time".
He described the agreement as one that "was a road to a nuclear weapon for Iran."
The President then praised the results of the American military campaign against the Islamic Republic over the past year, while stressing that Washington's ultimate objective remained unchanged.
"And we obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. We defeated them militarily, financially, and otherwise. And now we are ensuring that just one thing, we have to make sure that they never, ever have a nuclear weapon. And we'll do that very easily."
Trump also mocked the condition of Iran's military and political leadership, suggesting that the losses inflicted on the regime had complicated efforts to negotiate an agreement.
"They don't have any airplanes, no ships, no anything, no leaders. Level one leader is gone, level two leader is gone," he stated, before joking, "I got to stop because I got to figure out who the hell are we negotiating with."
Earlier Saturday, Trump discussed the possibility of additional military action against Iran during an exchange with reporters.
Asked how close he was to authorizing another strike, the President refused to reveal his plans and criticized the question.
"Would you really think I'd tell you that? I mean, can anybody from the Wall Street Journal ask a question so stupid?" Trump replied.
He nevertheless acknowledged that an attack could take place, while emphasizing that a diplomatic agreement remained another possibility.
"Let me tell you, while we're thinking about doing it, and maybe tomorrow, do you really think I'm going to tell you? If I'm going to do it, and there's a possibility I will, there's also a possibility we'll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement. They want to make a deal. But the problem is, will they hold the deal?"
Trump explained that his administration was seeking a permanent solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions rather than a temporary setback to its weapons development capabilities.
"Look, I could have done the B-2 bomber thing a year ago and left. The problem is, over the course of a year, a year and a half, two years, they would have somehow figured a way to make a nuclear bomb. I've got to make it permanent. That's the only reason I'm doing it, as long as I'm doing it."
The President also highlighted what he described as the extensive damage inflicted on Iran's military infrastructure, including its aircraft, naval vessels, and radar systems.
"We've done an amazing job. Your paper wrote yesterday, two days ago, that we're getting more oil out of the Hormuz Strait than we did before the war started. We get it out very, very strongly. Our Navy has done an incredible job. Our military has done. They have no jet fighters left. They've knocked out every jet fighter in Iran. They've knocked out every ship, 259 ships, all at the bottom of the sea...I knocked out their radar. I knocked out all of the different things. And the only thing they have going for them right now is inflation."
Trump cited Iran's economic difficulties as another indication of the pressure facing Tehran, claiming that inflation had reached 301%.
"They're setting a record in inflation. Their inflation as of this morning, I just read, was 301%. So we've done a great job, and the question is, do we finish that, which would not be difficult, or do we make a deal with them? And that's going to be up to them," he said.
The remarks came a day after Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkey and Trump's special envoy for Syria and Iraq, suggested that Washington could launch another attack against Iran during the weekend.
Speaking Friday with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur and podcaster Mario Nawfal, Barrack emphasized that the administration remained open to negotiations despite the possibility of imminent military action.
“Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely. The president has been clear, I’m giving you American policy, the president is very clear: he’s open, and available and accessible to a deal. And we’ve been at the table for months and months and months," Barrack said.
Trump was subsequently asked about Barrack's assessment during a conversation with reporters Friday.
“[Barrack] is a pretty powerful man, I guess. If that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it," the President responded.
Later Friday, Trump again raised the prospect of renewed military operations during a campaign rally in Florida.
“We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or they will agree. If they're smart, they will just say, ‘Let's get down to business.’ But I doubt they will do that because perhaps they're not smart.
Meanwhile, The Hill reported Saturday that the US military has prepared several options for additional strikes against Iran that could be carried out following the November 3 midterm elections.
According to a source familiar with the planning, US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has developed plans for renewed attacks that could be implemented if Trump authorizes them.
A second source confirmed that CENTCOM has prepared multiple operational options for consideration by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Asked about the preparations, a Pentagon official told The Hill that the Defense Department's “job is to develop and present military options to the President."
“We don’t speculate on hypothetical situations or future operations," the official added.
CENTCOM did not respond to the publication's request for comment.