The televised address by Donald Trump was another presentation of the “peace through strength” policy, in which the opponent is forced into talks from a position of weakness. What is also significant is that U.S. actions have struck Iran’s leadership structure and its key infrastructure, significantly limiting the Tehran regime’s ability to continue its aggressive policy. The American leader also made it clear that if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, it will face another, even more decisive response, Tomasz Winiarski, an American studies expert, told Niezalezna.pl, summarizing Donald Trump’s address.
During the night from Wednesday to Thursday Polish time, the U.S. leader delivered his previously announced address to the American people. The main topic of the speech was the ongoing U.S. operation in Iran, code-named “Epic Fury,” which has been underway since late February. Donald Trump recalled that during the operation, the United States achieved a crushing military victory over the regime in Tehran.
“Today, Iran’s navy has been destroyed. Their air force lies in ruins, their leaders, most of them, the terrorist regime they led – are dead. Their command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – is being decimated. Their ability to launch missiles and drones is drastically limited, and their weapons, factories, and missile launchers are being destroyed, very few remain. Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such severe large-scale losses within a few weeks,” Trump listed.
“My first choice has always been the path of diplomacy – however, the regime continued its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and rejected all attempts at agreement,” he added.
Donald Trump also announced that a high intensity of attacks on Iran would be maintained over the next 2-3 weeks.
“We will take them back to the Stone Age, where they belong. (…) We have all the cards, they have none,” he stated.
He also reiterated that the U.S. does not need the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has been blocking since the beginning of the war in late February. He argued that countries relying on oil transported through it should take responsibility for unblocking it.
“Trump outlined the further strategy”
“In his highly anticipated speech on Iran, Donald Trump maintained his current approach. After just over a month of military operations against Tehran, the U.S. president announced that the country no longer poses a threat and that its potential has been significantly reduced,” Tomasz Winiarski told Niezalezna.pl.
“Trump not only weakened Iran’s offensive and defensive capabilities but also clearly outlined the next strategy – military pressure combined with the possibility of negotiations, while indicating that the conflict may soon come to an end,” the expert added.
“The televised address by Donald Trump was another presentation of the “peace through strength” policy, in which the opponent is forced into talks from a position of weakness. The president clearly emphasized that if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, it will face another, even more decisive response. It is also significant that U.S. actions have struck Iran’s leadership structure and its key infrastructure, significantly limiting the regime’s ability to continue its aggressive policy – both toward the region and global trade routes, such as the recently much-discussed Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
“Although some experts raised concerns about the lack of a fully presented long-term White House strategy on Iran or the absence of clear declarations regarding ground troops in the broadcast speech, I believe this can be interpreted as a deliberate decision by Washington to retain room for maneuver,” Winiarski said.
“Moreover, the very announcement of further strikes in the coming weeks – if no agreement is reached – strengthens the negotiating position of the United States. Iran now faces a choice – escalation and further losses, or talks on terms set by Washington and an expected end to the attacks,” he concluded.