Trump Warns Iranian Missiles Could Reach U.S. Cities: “Somebody Had to Do It”

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the war with Iran on Monday night, explaining that the decision to launch military action was driven by Tehran’s advancing missile capabilities and its ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking at an election rally in Mississippi, Trump acknowledged Iran’s technological capabilities, describing the Iranians as highly intelligent and skilled weapons manufacturers.

"They make excellent weapons. They are very smart people. The Iranians now have a missile that actually reached Europe. That wasn't supposed to happen. We said, 'Where the hell did they get that?'"

Trump warned that Iran’s missile development could eventually pose a direct threat to major American cities, including those on the West Coast. "They would have hit our cities. They would have hit San Diego. They would have hit Los Angeles. They would have hit our cities, too. So somebody had to do it. It had to be done. We didn't start the war with Iran. Iran started the war with us."

The president also criticized the previous ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying he had opposed the arrangement from the outset because he believed it merely delayed necessary military action.

"We had a short ceasefire, which I never particularly liked. I thought it was a waste of time. The ceasefire was just a waste of time, but sometimes you have to listen to the professionals. We wanted to be nice, but as far as I was concerned, it was just a waste of time."