What the Trump administration says about why it went to war with Iran
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The Trump administration says it is "laser focused" and mission driven in its attacks on Iran, but messaging from President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been varied. The wide range of motivations they have cited for why they attacked Iran now are sometimes at odds with each other and far from precise.
Here's a look at what the administration says about why it launched strikes on Iran and where the conflict goes from here:
"The United States of America will come to their rescue"
"If Iran sho[o]ts and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go." — President Trump in a Jan. 2 Truth Social post
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In early January, Trump threatened taking military action if Iran continued to kill demonstrators during historic protests against the regime. A couple of weeks later, Trump followed up, urging demonstrators to "keep protesting" and adding, "Help is on its way."
But the regi
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