Trump says he ordered Iran strikes to thwart Tehran's nuclear, missile programs

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had ordered the attack on Iran to thwart Tehran's nuclear development and a ballistic missile program that he said was growing rapidly.

Trump offered his most extensive comments about the war beyond two video messages and a series of brief phone interviews with reporters over the weekend that offered sometimes conflicting objectives in the conflict.

He said, without providing evidence, that the threat from Iran had been imminent.

"This was our last best chance to strike ... and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime," he said at an event in the White House East Room.

Trump said military operations were ahead of schedule, without providing details. He said he had projected the U.S. campaign would last four to five weeks but that it could go longer.

A central premise of the fight was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has denied doing, and thwart its long-range ballistic missile program, Trump said.

"An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people," Trump said.

Trump said U.S. forces had knocked out 10 Iranian ships - "they're at the bottom of the sea" - 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.

Trump noted the loss of four American service personnel in the fight so far, adding: "In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people." — Reuters