The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28, with President Donald Trump outlining the operation’s goals publicly for the first time at a Medal of Honor ceremony.

He described the assault as their last best chance to strike, signaling the administration’s resolve to reshape the region’s security landscape.

Trump laid out four core objectives driving the offensive.

The first is the systematic destruction of Iran’s missile program, including its production facilities, which he said was already visibly unfolding.

“We’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, that you see happening on an hourly basis on their capacity to produce brand new ones and pretty good ones they make. The second goal is the complete dismantling of Iran’s naval forces, with the president confirming that ten Iranian warships had already been sunk. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea,” Trump declared.

The third and perhaps most high-stakes objective is permanently preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.  

“They’re never going to have a nuclear weapon. They were on the road to getting one legitimately through a deal that was signed foolishly by our country,” Trump added.

The fourth objective targets Iran’s role as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, with Trump vowing to cut off the regime’s ability to arm, finance, and command militant proxy forces operating beyond its borders.

“And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders,” he concluded.

The strikes, which also resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have since been followed by additional Israeli air assaults on Tehran, marking one of the most significant escalations in Middle Eastern geopolitics in decades.