- Donald Trump claimed at an Oklahoma rally that Iran was manufacturing drugs alongside its nuclear program, offering a new justification for the ongoing eight-month conflict.
- The war, which began in February and led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was previously framed around preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
- Trump highlighted June 2025 strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer, claiming US forces targeted combined nuclear and drug facilities in Iran.
- A CNN/SSRS poll revealed deep public dissatisfaction with the conflict, showing that 73 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the war.
- The new claims mark a continuation of Trump using drug enforcement as a rationale for military operations, following similar actions in Venezuela and the Caribbean.
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