US President Donald Trump has introduced a new element to his explanation of military action against Iran, claiming that facilities targeted in a major bombing operation were being used for both nuclear and drug-related activities.

Trump made the remark during a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday, while recounting the June 2025 US military operation known as Operation Midnight Hammer.

According to The Independent, Trump said US B-2 bombers carried out the strikes against what he described as Iranian nuclear facilities, before adding that the sites were also “drug factories.” He did not provide evidence during the speech to support the claim that the targeted facilities were involved in drug production.

The president has previously presented Iran’s nuclear programme as the central justification for US military action, warning that Tehran could obtain a nuclear weapon. His latest comments therefore add another stated rationale to his account of the strikes.

The remarks come as the conflict continues to generate debate in the United States, with questions surrounding the administration’s objectives and conduct of the conflict. The Independent reported that a CNN/SSRS survey conducted in September found that 73 per cent of respondents disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 75 per cent said he did not have a clear plan for the war.

Trump has also previously invoked drug trafficking in defending other military actions during his second term, including strikes against vessels that his administration has alleged were transporting drugs into the United States.