Trump on Iran:

All of those missiles that were launched against their neighbors were set long ago, long before they expected to use them so quickly.

Had we not done this, you would have had a nuclear war that would have evolved into WW3.

Trump on Mojtaba Khamenei:

Now they think maybe the son is gone. They’re all gone.

My biggest problem is that I have no idea who we’re talking to, because nobody has ever heard of any of these people. They’re all dead.

Trump:

More people died in religious wars than every other war put together.

That is what you would have had here.

Trump on Iran:

China should be thanking us.

Trump on The Strait of Hormuz:

They should be helping us. What surprises me is that they’re not more eager to do so.

There are a few countries that have been very supportive. I’ll be announcing some names soon.

Trump:

Some countries have been very good. One or two have been great.

I’ll tell you who the great ones are at the right time.

Trump on Iran:

I heard they were sending missiles to the UAE. I said, “That’s strange, you know? The UAE is like the banker for Iran.” They’re sort of the banker. Qatar, their neighbors — they got along okay.

Then suddenly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait — Kuwait is getting hit. Bahrain is getting hit. All of these countries are getting hit.

No expert would have predicted that this was going to happen.

It’s not a question of whether we should have known. Even if we had known, we still have to do what we have to do.

Trump on The Strait of Hormuz:

The Strait of Hormuz is a beautiful place, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to be sailing a boat there right now.

You know why? Not because of them—because of us.

Trump on The Strait of Hormuz:

We don’t know that any mines have even been dropped, but the thought that they would scares people that have billion-dollar ships.

Trump on Qasem Soleimani:

He was a vicious, horrible man, but he was a brilliant general.

Reporter: Can we wrap this war up this week?

Trump: Yeah, sure. I don’t think so, but it’ll be soon. It won’t be long. And we’re going to have a much safer world when it’s wrapped up.

It’ll be wrapped up soon.

Trump on Iran:

It’s a big chess game at a very high level.

It’s a very high-level chance — the highest — and I’m dealing with very smart players. These are smart people. They don’t get there otherwise.

When you deal with some of these people, you know who you’re dealing with. High-level intellect. High — very high-IQ people.

Trump says Gavin Newsom is “dumb” and “racist.”

Trump on his visit to China:

Because of the war, I want to be here. I feel I have to be here.

And so we’ve requested that we delay it a month or so.

Trump on Cuba:

I do believe I’ll have the honor of taking Cuba. That would be good. That’s a big honor.

I can free it or take it, I think I can do anything I want with it.

Trump:

We have 45,000 troops in Japan, 45,000 in South Korea, and 50,000 in Germany.

We defend all these countries, and then: “Do you have any minesweepers?”

They say, “Well, would it be possible for us not to get involved?”

Trump now claims Iran had 22 minelayers in total, and they have all been sunk.

Trump claimed 31 minelayers had been sunk four days ago.

Reporter: You said twice today you talked to a former president about the Iran strikes. Was it George W. Bush?

Trump: No.

Reporter: Was it Bill Clinton?

Trump: I don't want to say... I think you probably know.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi:

My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran.

Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public.

More than 200 U.S. troops have been wounded across seven Middle Eastern countries during the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran, mainly from Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. positions.

Many injuries involve traumatic brain injuries, some discovered days later.

Ten troops are seriously injured, and 13 U.S. personnel have died—seven in Iranian attacks and six in a KC-135 plane crash in Iraq.

Source: WaPo

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said NATO allies should take Trump’s warnings seriously about securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Stubb said countries able and willing to support the US should do so.