Ordered Iran strikes to thwart Tehran's nuclear, missile programme: Trump

In his first address to the nation since the commencement of Operation Epic Fury, the United States President Donald Trump said that he ⁠ordered the US military to ⁠attack Iran to thwart Tehran's nuclear ‌development and ​a ballistic missile programme.

On Saturday, in a coordinated operation Israel and United States launched a barrage of missiles at Iran which led to killing of the Islamic country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated by attacking US bases in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus.

On Monday, Trump said that the reason they initiated this operation was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and thwart its long-range ballistic ‌missile programme.

'Iran would have had nuclear capabilities of reaching US', the US president added as he continued to talk about the operation.

Trump said that the Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but that he's prepared "to go far longer than that." He also said that this was their 'best chance' to hit Iran.

"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 added as he proudly declared  that US had knocked ​out 10 Iranian ships and ​expressed confidence about ​how the campaign was going.

Today, the United States military continues to carry out large-scale, combat operations in Iran ⁠to eliminate ⁠the grave threats posed to America by this terrible, terrorist regime," Trump said.

He said the objectives of the war included destroying Iran's missile capabilities, annihilating their navy and stopping from them from having a nuclear weapon.

Trump said a third objective was a long-standing U.S. goal, to prevent Iran from supporting militant groups elsewhere in the region.

(With Reuters inputs)