{

"title": "Trump Defends Iran Strikes, Outlines Military Goals",

"content": "President Trump defended the recent strikes on Iran as aimed at neutralizing the country's missile capabilities and naval forces, preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and stopping its ability to arm and fund terrorism worldwide. He offered little new information about the operation's scope or duration, saying only that US forces were "substantially ahead" of schedule and noting the original projection of four to five weeks while stressing the capability to continue longer if required.\n\nTrump reiterated that repeated diplomatic efforts had failed and portrayed Iran's conventional ballistic missile program as an accelerating threat to US forces and allies. He argued the regime already had missiles able to reach Europe and regional bases and claimed Iran was close to obtaining weapons that could strike the US mainland.\n\nThese remarks were Trump's first public comments since the United States and Israel launched the joint military operation over the weekend. He had released two prerecorded messages after the fighting began. That operation, and Iran's retaliation, have led to the death of Iran's supreme leader and some senior Iranian officials, drawn other Middle Eastern countries into the conflict, and resulted in the deaths of four American service members in Kuwait.\n\nPentagon chief Pete Hegseth described the action as a response to years of Iranian targeting of US forces and interests. He said the goal is to end that threat: 'We didn't start this war, but under President Trump we're finishing it.'\n\nJoint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine warned the mission will be hard and, in places, gritty. He said US forces expect additional losses and will work to minimize them. Caine described the operation as focused on protecting US forces and regional partners and denying Iran the ability to project power beyond its borders.\n\nOfficials said some phases of the campaign were the result of months or years of planning. The initial strikes targeted Iranian command-and-control nodes, naval assets, ballistic missile sites and intelligence infrastructure in an effort to degrade Tehran's ability to observe, coordinate and respond effectively.\n\nHegseth emphasized the stated US objectives — destroy missile threats, degrade Iran's navy and prevent a nuclear program — and rejected the idea the campaign will turn into a prolonged occupation or nation-building effort. The administration, however, acknowledged uncertainty about how long operations will continue and the risks of further casualties as the campaign proceeds."

}