President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Iran-Israel war forced Tehran to “forgo” its nuclear weapons ambitions. He controversially compared the impact of these strikes to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Trump stated that Iran “went through hell” during the conflict, and this experience convinced them to abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons. He publicly disputed intelligence assessments that found a limited impact of the strikes, asserting the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The conflict originated with Israeli bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities, citing concerns about their nuclear program. Iran maintained its nuclear activities were peaceful. The 12 days of hostilities led to significant damage and loss of life.
A ceasefire, reportedly brokered by Trump, was holding. Trump’s comments shed light on his perspective regarding the motivations and outcomes of military engagement.