Trump credits killing of Qasem Soleimani with shifting Iran dynamics and recounts U.S. strikes

President Donald Trump credited the U.S. operation that killed Qasem Soleimani with altering Iran's leadership environment and said that, along with recent bombing runs, it created conditions for the memorandum of understanding under discussion at the G7.

At the Evian press briefing, Trump described the operation in operational terms, saying that "we took him, Soleimani," and that the action removed a leader he called a "mad genius." He recounted a sequence of strikes over multiple nights, described precision targeting and said Iran had lost the ability to deploy aircraft and anti-aircraft defenses in the aftermath. "We informed them we're coming for a third night. They didn't have their Navy. It's sunk. They didn't have their Air Force. Not one plane," he said.

Trump said allied partners, including Israel, were involved in planning the operation and credited U.S. military capabilities such as B-2 stealth bombers and surveillance assets. He also tied these operations to a larger enforcement posture, saying strikes and blockades reduced Iran's ability to project power in the region.

Those remarks were delivered as description and justification of past U.S. military action by the president; the briefing did not present operational after-action reports, casualty verification, or independent corroboration. The press corps asked follow-up questions about civilian casualties and legal accountability; Trump said such incidents were under investigation and described them as tragic consequences of war while emphasizing the strategic aim of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.