Trump Addresses Israel's Operation Rising Lion Against Iran

Last week, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a series of airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile programs, and key military leadership. The operation, described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a preemptive strike to neutralize Iran's nuclear ambitions, involved over 200 aircraft and 330 munitions striking approximately 100 targets, including sites in Tehran and Natanz.

Iranian state media reported at least 78 fatalities and 329 injuries, with significant losses among military and scientific leadership, including IRGC head Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri. The strikes were prompted by intelligence indicating Iran was just days away from producing nuclear weapons, with enough enriched uranium for 15 bombs, a claim supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency's June 2025 finding of Iran's non-compliance with nuclear agreements.

President Donald Trump, addressing the operation, emphasized his prior efforts to negotiate with Iran, posting: "Two months ago, I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to 'make a deal,'" Trump stated. “Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they couldn’t get it done. I warned them it would be worse than anything they anticipated, that the United States has the best military equipment in the world, and that Israel has plenty of it. Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was coming. They are all dead now, and it will only get worse unless Iran acts.”

Trump urged Iran to negotiate swiftly to avoid further escalation. "There has already been great death and destruction, but there’s still time to end this slaughter before the next, even more brutal attacks. Iran must make a deal before there’s nothing left of what was once the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction—just do it before it’s too late."

Operation Rising Lion marks a pivotal moment in the Iran-Israel tensions, with significant implications for regional stability and global nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Israel’s goal appears focused on dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities, aligning with broader American interests in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. The operation has drawn international calls for de-escalation, as Iran has vowed retaliation, raising fears of a wider conflict.

"Even the moderate Arab countries are all hoping that Israel can destroy Iran's ability to have a nuclear weapon because it saves civilization," commented CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp on Newsmax this week. "It's not about the American military going to war in Iran. It's about ridding Iran of this menace of a nuclear strike capability."

Trump, positioning himself as a proponent of peace, reiterated his willingness to negotiate with Iran’s leadership. "I’ve been reasonable in foreign affairs for years and offered to talk with the ayatollahs," he said. "They’ve tried to humiliate me, but they must learn respect. This can be achieved without American military intervention." He emphasized that a limited conflict, focused on clear objectives, could pressure Tehran to seek peace without broader escalation.

It's an effort to deal blows to the despotic Ayatollah regime of Iran, which has imposed tyranny on the Iranian people and sponsored terrorism around the globe for almost half a century.