Trump Declares Iran 'Decimated' and 'Desperate' for Nuclear Deal
Trump claimed major military successes against Iran, nuclear setbacks for Tehran, and broader global achievements in a wide-ranging speech.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US President Donald Trump delivered an expansive account of his administration’s military and diplomatic actions, declaring major successes against Iran while addressing a wide range of international issues during the 2026 NRCC Annual Fundraising Dinner.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump said the United States had “settled eight wars” and was now achieving significant results in the Middle East.
“We did a lot. We settled eight wars, people sort of forget. And we’re winning another one, I tell you. We’re winning so big, nobody’s ever seen anything like what we’re doing in the Middle East with Iran,” he said. He added that Tehran is engaged in negotiations, stating: “They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
Trump rejected narratives suggesting setbacks, saying: “If you listen to the news, you think we’re losing a war in Iran where we’re decimating the other side… we are decimating. They’ve got no Navy, they’ve got no anything.”
He also referred to undisclosed operations, stating: “There are great military triumphs against Iran that can’t be displayed on television.”
On Iran’s nuclear program, Trump said: “We’re going to have to do something about Iran because they’re going to have a nuclear weapon very soon… and we have to stop them,” adding criticism of previous US administrations and noting that he terminated an earlier agreement upon taking office.
He further claimed that US military actions had halted Iran’s nuclear progress: “If I didn’t terminate it, that weapon would have been used three years ago… then we stopped it a second time with those beautiful B2 bombers… we attacked and we obliterated the site.” He added that without the strike, Iran could have obtained a nuclear weapon within “two weeks to four weeks.”
Trump also highlighted the killing of Qasem Soleimani, stating: “Taking out Soleimani was very important… we took out Soleimani and they never had leadership that could compete with that.”
“Iran would long ago have had a nuclear weapon if it weren’t for us. The entire world would be under mortal threat,” he said.
Turning to South America, Trump described operations in Venezuela, including an incident involving a helicopter pilot: “A helicopter pilot who helped us win in Venezuela by landing a helicopter when his leg was practically shot off… without that, the mission would have been a failure, probably.”
He added: “You saw that in Venezuela. One hour, the war was over… we knocked out their Navy, we knocked out everything… we apprehended the outlaw Victor… named Nicolas Maduro, and brought him to face American justice.”
On relations with Gulf countries, Trump said: “A year and a half ago, our country was viewed as a joke… now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world.” He added that he secured major financial commitments, stating: “I came back with two trillion dollars from Saudi, two trillion from Qatar, two trillion from UAE.”
He also addressed other international and domestic issues, including migration and economic policy. Referring to migration, he said: “The Congo opened its jails, released all of its prisoners into the United States of America through the totally open southern border.”
On economic measures, Trump said: “I lowered prices by 50, 60, 70, 80 percent… I got other countries to do it with the threat of tariffs… no other president tried to get this done.”
Trump’s remarks presented a sweeping narrative of military strength and global engagement, with a central focus on Iran and broader claims of US influence across multiple regions.