Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference, Trump described Iran's legacy in vivid terms, connecting the country's actions directly to the physical suffering of young Americans who had served in the military.
He said the roadside bombs responsible for those injuries were designed and developed under the direction of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, whom he described as a mad genius and whom he said he killed during his first term in office.
Trump told the audience that Soleimani had been planning to strike five American military installations before the administration learned of the plot and moved to eliminate him.
He said Israel had initially agreed to participate in the operation but pulled out the night before it was scheduled to take place, forcing the United States to carry it out alone.
In his words, President Trump said, "They reigned with terror. When you see a young man or woman walking around without legs or without arms or a face that was obliterated, it happened from the roadside bomb that was created. The creation of General Salami, who I killed in my first term, and that was a big killing," he said.
Trump told the crowd that despite Soleimani's military brilliance, his elimination was carried out successfully by American forces without Israeli support.
He added that even Iran's own leaders had likely felt relief at Soleimani's death, suggesting the general had been so powerful that he was feared within the Iranian government itself.
The president used Iran's history of terror to justify the broader military campaign he authorized against the country, saying the operation was not only about nuclear weapons but about finally holding accountable a government that had caused immeasurable pain to Americans and people across the Middle East for nearly five decades.
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