Troops’ deaths ‘a shame,’ Trump admits, but insists Iran mission still critical
Asked about Iran’s announcement that it is no longer abiding by the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trump said: “I couldn’t care less.”
President Trump defended the U.S. war effort against Iran after the first confirmed American combat deaths since renewed hostilities began, calling the deaths of two U.S. service members “a shame” but saying the mission to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains critical.
Speaking to the New York Post about an hour into the latest U.S. strikes against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump called the troops’ deaths “a shame” but defended the continuation of the campaign.
“They did it because they don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said of the service members. “… And it just shows you how bad (the Iranians) are.”
Asked whether he planned to contact the fallen troops’ families, Trump said: “Of course I will. I always do. Yeah.”
Separately, in a brief call with NewsNation, Trump called the deaths “a very sad thing,” saying the troops died “in service of our country” and reiterating that the war’s central objective is “never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Asked about Iran’s announcement that it is no longer abiding by the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trump said: “I couldn’t care less.”
Responding to Democratic lawmakers who blamed him for the troops’ deaths, Trump pointed to other U.S. conflicts. “Have you ever asked how many people died in Vietnam? Have you ever asked how many people died in Afghanistan in one day? In one day, run by Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump said, according to the New York Post.
“This is two wars we’re talking about: Venezuela and this. And it’s a shame, but in this case, they died because they don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon and they don’t want to see the Middle East blown up.”
The Pentagon deployed additional warplanes toward the Gulf region following the strikes, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
