U.S. President Donald Trump declared today that Operation “Epic Fury” against Iran is nearing completion, with new threats of attack and false rhetoric about the rebuilding Tehran’s nuclear program.

The U.S. President Donald Trump declared on March 1st that strategic objectives in the ongoing military operation against Iran, launched on February 28, are “near completion”, warning of intensified attacks despite strong Iranian resistance and escalating regional tensions.

In a 18-minute message, Trump warned Tehran to attack strategic targets “with extreme harshness” if no agreement is reached “within the next two or three weeks”. Trump’s assertions, made from the Oval Office, falsely justified the 33-day conflict by alleging Tehran was rebuilding its nuclear program.

RELATED: Iran Denies Request for Ceasefire

During his address, President Trump characterized Iran as no longer posing a threat to the United States, asserting that U.S. forces would “complete all of the U.S. military objectives soon”.

“We’re going to hit them extremely hard for the next two or three weeks. We will bring them back to the Stone Age, which is where they belong. In the meantime, the talks continue”, he declared.

The U.S. President reiterated his unfounded claims that the Islamic Republic was secretly pursuing a nuclear weapon, a pretense he previously used to initiate what was initially described as a “punctual and surgical” military intervention.

Trump detailed U.S. objectives, which included “eliminating the Iranian Navy, which is now completely destroyed, weakening its air force and missile program to unprecedented levels, and annihilating its industrial defense base.” In this sense, Trump expressed satisfaction, noting these fundamental strategic goals are “close to being completed.”

In a stark warning during his address, Trump threatened even more severe bombardments in the coming weeks. “We are going to attack them with great force. In the next two or three weeks, we are going to return them to the Stone Age, which is where they belong”, he threatened, with an aggressive rhetoric that escalates tensions and signals a dangerous trajectory for the conflict, disregarding international calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.

Trump’s Speech vs Reality

Facts on the ground contrast sharply with Trump’s declarations. Hours after Trump’s speech, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, vehemently denied Trump’s earlier claims that Tehran had requested a ceasefire. Baqaei dismissed the assertions as “false” and “lacking any foundation”, underscoring Iran’s unwavering stance against the U.S.-Israeli aggression.

“Trump’s statements claiming that Iran has called for a ceasefire are false and groundless”, Iranian Foreign Office Spokesman Esmail Baqai said earlier, after a post on Truth Social Network about an alleged Iranian request for a ceasefire agreement. In addition, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reiterated this Wednesday, through a statement broadcast on a state network, that the Strait of Hormuz is under its control and will remain closed to its “enemies” due to the “absurd demonstrations of the U.S. President”.

Moreover, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues its robust retaliatory attacks against U.S. and Israeli military and strategic interests across West Asia. Today, Iranian forces launched the 89th wave of “Operation True Promise 4”, deploying over 100 heavy missiles, numerous drones, and 200 rockets. This sustained offensive directly contradicts Trump’s assertions that Iran’s “Navy has disappeared”, its “Air Force has disappeared” and its “missiles are practically exhausted or unusable.”

The Nuclear Excuse

“I would always have preferred the path of diplomacy, but the regime continued its incessant pursuit of a nuclear weapon”, Trump claimed during his speech tonight. This statement ignores the reality that the joint military aggression launched with Israel effectively sabotaged indirect negotiations his administration had been conducting with Tehran, notably under the mediation of Oman. The breakdown of these diplomatic channels, initiated by U.S. and Israeli military actions, underscores a preference for confrontation over peaceful resolution.

Ironically and according the Iranian strong response and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz -a critical global oil chokepoint- Donald Trump said that the U.S. does not need oil from the Middle East. “We don’t have to be there. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need anything they have, but we are there to help our allies”, U.S. President emphasized.

This declaration, seemingly aimed at downplaying the geopolitical and economic stakes, arrives as the conflict continues to destabilize the region and impact global energy markets. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents a significant strategic blow, limiting global oil flow and challenging U.S. assertions of regional control.

Earlier, the U.S. President declared that he has spoken with his advisers about withdrawing the U.S. from NATO if the allies do not cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but in his speech tonight, he did not mention that threat. For his part, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to Washington next week to meet with Trump.

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian previously stated that the U.S. is being “manipulated by Israel to attack Iran”, a perspective that highlighted that the conflict has served Israeli security interests.

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