Trump: Iranian Nuclear Targets 'Completely and Totally Obliterated'

President Donald Trump, addressing the world after the U.S. military carried out precision strikes on the Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites Saturday, called the bombings a "spectacular military success" and said they were "completely and totally obliterated."

"Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror," said Trump, who was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

And now "the bully of the Middle East must make peace," Trump said of Iran, warning that if an agreement is not reached, "future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier."

The president added that for the past four decades, Iran has been calling for "death to America, death to Israel."

"They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs," the president said. "That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate."

Many of those people were "killed by their general, Qassem Soleimani," said Trump, speaking about the key Iranian military leader who was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, by a U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump near Baghdad International Airport.

"I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen," Trump said of the carnage. "It will not continue."

He added that he wanted to thank Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as they "worked like a team, like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel."

He also thanked the Israeli military "for the wonderful job they've done.

"And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades," Trump said. "Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that's so."

He further congratulated the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine, and the military minds involved in the attack.

"With all of that being said, this cannot continue," said Trump. "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."

He added that many targets are left.

"Tonight's was the most difficult of them all by far and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill," said Trump.

Caine and Hegseth will hold a press conference Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon to discuss the bombings further, Trump said.

"I want to just thank everybody and, in particular, God; I want to just say we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them," he said. "God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel, and God bless America."