Trump falsely claims Iran had missiles that 'could reach the American homeland' before U.S. intervention

During his prime-time address, Trump alleged that before U.S. military action, Iran 'would soon have had missiles that could reach the American homeland, Europe and virtually any other place on earth.' Arms control experts have disputed this claim. Iran's ballistic missile program, while advancing, did not include ICBM-range missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. The claim appears designed to retroactively justify the war by inflating the threat Iran posed to U.S. territory.

"Iranian officials were also rapidly building a vast stockpile of conventional ballistic missiles and would soon have had missiles that could reach the American homeland, Europe and virtually any other place on earth."