President Trump on the Iranian Regime: No Longer the 'Bullying Power of the Middle East'; We Have Eliminated the Nuclear Threat

On Wednesday, January 21, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. A portion of Trump's speech focused on Iran and its role in Middle Eastern security dynamics. President Trump stated that during his presidency, the United States eliminated the 'nuclear threat from Iran' through a large-scale air operation that 'no one believed.' He explained that American stealth bombers, the B-2, flew over Iran at midnight under conditions where 'there was neither moon nor light in the sky,' dropping 'very heavy bombs' on predetermined targets and then exiting the region without Iranian defense systems being able to respond. Trump described this operation as a 'complete destruction' of the nuclear capacity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and claimed that had this attack not occurred, Iran would have acquired nuclear weapons 'within two months.' He referred to Iran's position in previous years as that of the 'bully of the Middle East,' stating that Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, were previously unwilling to sign any peace agreements due to the 'shadow of the Iranian threat.' He emphasized that after the attack, which he claimed 'completely destroyed' Iran's nuclear facilities, these countries were able to engage in peace agreements and normalize relations with Israel. Trump added that without this operation, 'peace in the Middle East' would not have been possible and the 'dark cloud of a nuclear Iran' would have remained over the region. He stated that Iran 'is no longer the bully of the Middle East' and attributed this change directly to his administration's pressure policies and military operations. Continuing on this theme, Trump cited the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities alongside the killing of Qassem Soleimani and the elimination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, as examples of the 'greatest operations' that he claimed were 'executed flawlessly.' He mentioned that a senior U.S. military official told him that 'everything he has done has been executed completely and flawlessly.' He described this series of actions as part of his strategy to 'eliminate the Iranian threat' and 'restore U.S. deterrence' in the Middle East. In another part of his speech, Trump reiterated the U.S. role in supporting Israel's security against Iranian-related threats, stating that Washington has provided missile defense technology to Israel. He added that just as the U.S. helped Israel create a defensive shield, it is now designing a 'golden dome' on a much larger scale to protect not only the U.S. but also Canada and 'the rest of the world' against missile threats. He noted that this 'dome' will be implemented globally after experiences dealing with threats from Iran and other regional actors. Beyond Iran, Trump took the opportunity in Davos to rewrite the narrative of the U.S. economy and its global standing; a narrative in which operations against Iran are also part of a picture of a tough and determined leadership. Trump also launched sharp attacks on America's traditional allies in Europe and NATO, stating that the United States has paid 'almost 100 percent of NATO costs' for decades without receiving 'anything in return.' He once again brought up the idea of the U.S. wanting to acquire Greenland, reminding that after World War II, the U.S. could have kept the territory after liberating it but returned it to Denmark. He now pointed out Greenland's strategic position between the U.S., Russia, and China, stating that this icy island would become a 'missile transit route' in the event of war, and therefore, Washington must take control of it. In this context, he linked his criticism of NATO to the question of whether European countries would actually come to the aid of the U.S. in the event of an attack. Trump's speech in Davos was an overall attempt to solidify a single image: an image of America as a power that, through decisive military actions against the regimes in Iran and Venezuela, redefining security relations in Europe, pressuring NATO member countries for fair participation in sharing costs, and a firm energy policy, has both contained the nuclear threat of the Islamic Republic and paved the way for peace in the Middle East and a new order in Europe. In President Trump's speech, Iran was mentioned three times; a country that, as a result of the U.S. president's policies, has transformed from the 'bully of the Middle East' to a weakened regime. President Trump also warned the terrorist group Hamas that if it does not begin disarming Gaza in the next three weeks as part of the second phase of his peace plan for Palestinian territory, it will be destroyed. On Wednesday, Trump said in an informal conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that Hamas agreed to disarm by accepting the first phase of his peace plan, which began with an October ceasefire after two years of war with Israel, a key U.S. ally. The Trump administration stated that it would 'certainly' know within three weeks whether Hamas would fulfill this commitment. He said, 'If they do not do this... they will be destroyed very quickly.' Hamas leaders have repeatedly stated their opposition to disarmament since the ceasefire began. The U.S. and Israel have warned Hamas that it will be disarmed either the 'easy way' or the 'hard way.' Last week, the Trump administration took further steps to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace plan and sent invitations to world leaders to join a peace delegation to oversee the strip and establish a technocratic Palestinian committee to manage its daily affairs. The White House announced that Donald Trump would participate in the ceremony to announce the charter of the peace delegation in Davos on Thursday. Dozens of world leaders confirmed they received invitations to join this delegation, and some said they would accept it. In letters with identical wording published on social media, the U.S. president stated that the founding countries of the peace delegation would join the United States in a 'historic and magnificent effort to solidify peace in the Middle East' and 'begin a bold and new approach to resolving global conflicts.'