United States President Donald Trump has claimed the US has "knocked the hell out of Iran", saying Washington gave Tehran "a week off" to hold the funeral of its late supreme leader, as he defended his administration's actions during the recent conflict with Iran.
Speaking at Mount Rushmore on the eve of US Independence Day during the opening weekend of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations, Trump said Iran is now eager to negotiate following the conflict, reports Al Jazeera.
"They're dying to settle," Trump said, adding that the US has granted Iran "a week off for a funeral because we're nice", a reference to the state funeral for late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a strike on the opening day of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Trump also boasted about the US military's role in the war, saying Washington has "knocked the hell out of Iran".
The president made the remarks as Americans continue to grapple with persistent inflation and elevated energy prices linked to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
Much of Trump's speech focused on national security and military strength.
He said the United States has built "the strongest and most powerful military" in the world, claiming it won two world wars and consigned Cold War adversaries "to the depths of history".
He also claimed the US "beat Venezuela in one day".
Turning to domestic politics, Trump warned of what he described as a growing "communist menace" within the United States.
"There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life," he said, describing communism as "the enemy of the Constitution".
Trump pledged that Americans will "vanquish communism quickly" and linked the issue to his administration's hardline immigration policies, suggesting that left-wing political figures and certain undocumented migrants should be removed from the country.
His comments came after progressive candidates secured a series of Democratic primary victories in states including New York, Colorado and Texas.
Trump described democratic socialism as "the greatest threat to our country since its founding", comparing it to the challenges posed by the Second World War and the 11 September 2001 attacks.
He concluded the address by calling the country's 250th anniversary celebrations "the beginning of the golden age of America".
The speech drew mixed reactions from political commentators.
Republican strategist Eli Bremer told Al Jazeera that parts of the address echo the patriotic rhetoric of former president Ronald Reagan but said the political divide between the American left and right has rarely been wider.
Democratic strategist and former Obama campaign adviser Ameshia Cross argued that Trump's speech reflects concerns over the growing influence of younger Democratic politicians.
She also noted that the address came days after the president suffered a legal setback over his administration's efforts to end birthright citizenship.
The anniversary celebrations also highlighted competing political narratives about the country's identity.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani used a naturalisation ceremony to praise immigrants' contributions to the United States, while Democrats criticised the administration over its handling of the 250th anniversary commemorations.
Donald Trump / US-Iran War / Khamenei funeral
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