During a press conference, U.S
By Sammy,
During a press conference, U.S. President Donald Trump said the next phase of the war "depends" on what Iran does, warning, "They have until tomorrow... After that, they can have no bridges. No power plants. Stone age." He called reopening the Strait of Hormuz a "very big priority," noting how easily Iran could disrupt it, and said Tehran is negotiating "we think in good faith," while the U.S. is being assisted by "some incredible countries."
He outlined a sweeping contingency plan, stating, "We have a plan... where every bridge in Iran will be decimated... where every power plant will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again," adding that such strikes could happen within hours. At the same time, he said, "We don't want that," arguing it would take Iran "100 years to rebuild," and noted he delayed action because "I thought it was inappropriate \[to attack\] the day after Easter... They have until tomorrow."
Trump also described the rescue of two American airmen as "a risky operation," saying he "ordered the US armed forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home." He said forces flew "in broad daylight over Iran for seven hours... facing very, very heavy enemy fire," emphasizing, "in the United States military, we leave no American behind." He added, "Not everybody was on board... \[some\] preferred not doing it," but clarified, "I was told that this is a very dangerous mission. They didn't say it's a foolish mission," noting that "it was hundreds" involved.
He detailed how the second crew member, who was badly injured, evaded capture for nearly two days, saying he "scaled cliff faces while bleeding rather profusely," treated his wounds, and "contacted American forces to transmit his location." Trump said a deception effort followed before what he called "a breathtaking show of skill and precision," with U.S. forces rescuing the airman and exiting without casualties, adding that two aircraft were destroyed to prevent sensitive technology from falling into Iranian hands.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said intelligence was key to the mission, noting, "At the president's direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies... comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert." He added the agency "executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians," and said intelligence shows Iran was "embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission."
Trump also said a leak during the operation made conditions more dangerous, explaining, "The leaker basically said that we have one and there's somebody missing," which alerted Iran that another airman was still at large. He warned that action could be taken against the outlet involved, saying, "We're going to go to the media company that released it... 'National security. Give it up or go to jail.'"
Later in the press conference, a reporter pressed the U.S. president on his threats to strike Iranian civilian infrastructure. Trump responded that Iranians would accept the cost, saying, "They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom," and claimed some are urging Washington to "please keep bombing." Asked about potential protests, he said, "They should do it. But the consequences are great," adding, "If you protest, you will be shot immediately," while describing Iran as a "violent, horrible world."
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Diplomacy
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.