Trump: My Ultimate Goal Regarding the Iranian Government is Victory

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated in an exclusive interview with CBS Evening News that his ultimate goal regarding the Islamic Republic is 'victory.' He added, 'I like victory.' In response to a question about what he means by 'victory,' Trump referred to a list of military operations during his first and second terms, including the recent arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, the 2019 operation in Syria that led to the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, and the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in 2020. He stated that if the Islamic Republic begins executing anti-government protesters, the U.S. will take 'very decisive actions.' According to the U.S. President, 'We will take very decisive action. If they do such a thing, we will take very decisive action.' Trump continued, 'We do not want what is happening in Iran to continue. You know, if they want to protest, that is one thing; but when they start killing thousands of people, and now you are talking about hanging [protesters] - let's see how this ends for them. It will not end well for them.' The U.S. President mentioned that he is aware of the 'significant number' of people killed during over two weeks of protests. According to informed sources who spoke with CBS News, at least 12,000 - and possibly up to 20,000 - have lost their lives, while released videos show rows of body bags in a morgue in Tehran. On Tuesday, Trump warned on social media that Iranian officials will 'pay a heavy price' for the violence and promised Iranian citizens that 'help is on the way.' He also announced that he would cancel all meetings and calls with Iranian officials until the killings stop. During the interview, Trump reiterated that 'a lot of help is on the way' and said this assistance will be provided in 'various forms,' including economic aid. He also referred to last year's U.S. airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities but did not provide further details.