Trump urges Iran to pursue peace, warns of future strikes

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

President Donald Trump addressed the nation late Saturday night at the White House following the U.S. military carrying out "successful" strikes on an Iranian nuclear facility while warning the Iranian regime if they don't come to peace, the U.S. could target more sites.

The president, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the strikes were "carried out" with "massive precision" on the Islamic Republic's three major nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. He touted the mission as a "spectacular military success."

Trump on Striking Iran: ‘Peace or Tragedy for Iran’

President Trump: "A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive, precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime. Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise.

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.

Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not. Future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.

For 40 years, Iran has been saying. Death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East, and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate in particular. So many were killed by their general, Qassim Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue.

I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.

Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so. I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.

With all of that being said, this cannot continue. There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight. Not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.

Tomorrow, General Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon. And I want to just thank everybody. And, in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you."

Trump said that the goal of the strike was to destroy the country's "nuclear enrichment capacity and [put] a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."

He proclaimed the nuclear sites as being destroyed, calling on Iran to make peace.

The president said that he hopes the U.S. military forces won't be needed for future operations; however, he added that the Iranian regime can't continue to target Israel and the U.S. He warned that it could get worse for Iran if they do not attempt to make peace.

"This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left; tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill, most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," Trump warned.

"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," said Trump.

He warned that if peace is not achieved, all bets are off, indicating future strikes are possible. He highlighted Iranian terror attacks against Americans, adding they have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of American lives.

"If they do not [achieve peace], future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America, Death to Israel.' They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of the hate," the president said.

Trump congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the two leaders had worked as a team.

"I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this harmful threat to Israel," said Trump.

Multiple reports indicated six B-2 stealth bombers based out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri were used to carry out attacks on Fordow, while 30 tomahawk missiles were shot from nuclear subs.

The U.S. military strikes just over a week after Israel initially launched targeted strikes against the Islamic Republic after months of failed peace talks urging the Iranian regime to cease their development of nuclear weapons. The strikes mark the first time in history the U.S. has carried out military strikes inside Iran.