President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday evening in a prime-time speech, providing an update on the ongoing military campaign in Iran one month after the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
Trump stated that the U.S. military began the operation exactly one month prior, targeting what he described as the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. He highlighted swift, decisive, and overwhelming victories on the battlefield, saying they were like few people have ever seen before.
According to the president, Iran’s navy is now gone, its air force lies in ruins, and most of the leaders of the terrorist regime are dead. He added that the command and control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being decimated, while Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones has been dramatically curtailed. Weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces, with very few remaining.
“Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating large-scale losses in a matter of weeks,” Trump said. He declared that America’s enemies are losing, while the United States under his presidency is winning and now winning bigger than ever before.
The president thanked U.S. troops for their role in a rapid military operation in Venezuela earlier this year, which he described as quick, lethal, and violent, and respected worldwide. He noted that after rebuilding the military during his first term, the U.S. now possesses by far the strongest military in the world. Trump said the U.S. is now working with Venezuela as joint venture partners, getting along incredibly well in the production and sale of massive amounts of oil and gas from the country’s second-largest reserves on Earth after the United States. This has made America totally independent of Middle East oil, though the U.S. remains present to help its allies.
Turning to the rationale for Operation Epic Fury, Trump emphasized his long-standing vow—dating back to his 2015 presidential campaign announcement—that he would never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. He described the Iranian regime as fanatical, having chanted “death to America, death to Israel” for 47 years. The president listed Iran’s support for attacks including the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 Americans, roadside bombs that slaughtered hundreds of U.S. service members, the attack on the USS Cole, and the atrocities of October 7 in Israel.
Trump also stated that the regime recently killed 45,000 of its own people who were protesting in Iran. He argued that allowing such a murderous regime to possess nuclear weapons would create an intolerable threat, enabling campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest, and mass murder behind a nuclear shield. “I will never let that happen,” he said, adding that the situation should have been addressed long before he took office.
The president recounted actions taken during his terms to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, including the killing of General Qasem Soleimani during his first term. He called Soleimani an “evil genius” and the father of the roadside bomb, stating that Iran would likely be in a far stronger position today had he lived.
Trump framed the operation as necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world. He reiterated that the U.S. military is delivering tremendous progress and expressed confidence in continued success.
The address came as reports indicate the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury—preventing a nuclear Iran, destroying missile capabilities, degrading proxy networks, and eliminating naval threats—are nearing completion, with some expectations that major combat operations could wind down in the coming weeks.
No additional details on casualties, specific timelines for withdrawal, or international reactions were provided in the speech itself.