Donald Trump said the confrontation with Iran was not started by the United States, adding that Tehran has been in conflict with Washington since 1979.
The president spoke at the Veterans Day ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery, where he said the issue should have been resolved long ago. In his remarks at the Memorial Amphitheater, he claimed the US had won the war, but added that his administration’s goal was a complete victory.
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“All that remains is to decide when we want to end it. We’re aiming for a complete victory, not a 93% victory,” Trump said.
He predicted the conflict could end soon and claimed Iran would need around 25 years to rebuild the damage caused by the war. “It will take them 25 years to rebuild what we destroyed, and I hope we won’t have to destroy more of that country,” the president said.
Trump compared previous wars involving the United States, including those in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, with the US operation in Venezuela. According to him, that operation led to the ousting of President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Referring to the duration and casualties of previous conflicts, he said the US had gained almost nothing from them. He described the intervention in Venezuela as an extraordinary success, claiming it was completed in 48 minutes.
He also discussed the benefits America would secure, in his view, from Venezuela’s oil and other resources. “We’re making billions and billions of dollars from oil and all kinds of other commodities. It will be hundreds of billions. No one has ever seen anything like it, and we’ve already recouped the cost of the war many, many times over,” Trump said.
At the end of his speech, the president mentioned a plan to build a triumphal arch about 250 meters high between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. He said the monument would be dedicated to veterans and the US military.
The project has been challenged in court. Critics argue that construction could compromise the historic appearance of the US capital.
Trump did not speak directly about the midterm elections, but acknowledged that his administration would face some obstacles, which he said would be overcome. “We’re doing things nobody ever thought were possible, and yes, we’ll face a few minor obstacles. We’ll handle them very well,” he concluded.
