Tipsheet

President Trump Held Medal of Honor Ceremony and Updated the Nation on Iran. Here's What He Said.

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  March 02, 2026 12:15 PM

Earlier this morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a press conference to update the nation on Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel airstrike campaign against the Iranian regime.

It was announced that President Trump would address the nation at 11 am Eastern today, and Fox News said the President will also hold a Medal of Honor Ceremony as part of the President's remarks.

Prior to the press conference, CNN's Jake Tapper reported that President Trump told him the "big one" hasn't happened yet.

"I asked the President if the U.S. was doing more than these military strikes to help the Iranian people regain control of Iran against the regime, to seize the country from the Iranian regime," Tapper said. "And he said, 'Yes,' the president said, 'Yes, we are indeed ... but right now we want everyone staying inside. It's not safe out there. Then the president said it's about to get even less safe. He said, 'We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon.'"

President Trump began with a brief update on Operation Epic Fury.

"Today, the United States military continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran, to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible terrorist regime. Following our obliteration of Iran's nuclear program in Operation Midngiht hammer ... we warned Iran not to make any attempt ot rebuild at a different location," the President said.

"They ignored those warnings and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons. In addition, the regime's conventional ballistic missile program was growing rapidly and dramatically," the President added. "And this posed a very clear and colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas. The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe."

"The purpose of this fast-growing missile program was to shield their nuclear weapons development and make it extraordinarily difficult for anyone to stop them from making these highly forbidden ... nuclear weapons," the President said.

"An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people; our country itself would be under threat," President Trump said.

President Trump called Obama's nuclear deal with Iran a "horrible, horrible, dangerous document." 

"They would have had nuclear weapons three years ago, and they would have used them," President Trump said. President Trump also said it was Iranian weapons, including roadside bombs, that wounded countless American troops.

"They are indeed sick and sinister. Our objectives are clear; first, we're destroying Iran's missile capabilities," the President said. "Second, we're annihilating their navy. We've knocked out already ten ships ... third, we're ensuring that the world's number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon. Never going to have a nuclear weapon," President Trump said. "And finally, we're assuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders."

"Today, we grieve for the four heroic American service members who have been killed in action, and send our love and support to their families. In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve," the President said. 

President Trump said America is committed to continuing the mission, however long it takes.

"We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership, and as you know that was done in about an hour," President Trump said. 

"Please join me in thanking every American service member who bravely is standing in harm's way. They really are incredible," the President added.

During the Medal of Honor Ceremony, President Trump said we're recognizing the courage of three American heroes.

"We recognize the exceptional valor of Master Sergeant Roderick Edmonds," the President said, asking the family to stand for applause. "So Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis and Command Sergeant Major Terry Richardson, as they receive our nation's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor."

The Medals of Honor were awarded to Edmonds and Ollis posthumously. Edmonds was honored for leadership and resistance as a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II and Ollis was awarded for valor in Afghanistan, where he died shielding an allied officer from a suicide bomber.

Richardson was honored for his heroic actions during a 1968 Vietnam War reconnaissance mission