>>> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT.

REPORT. HERE IS LESTER HOLT.

HERE IS LESTER HOLT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. COMING ON THE AIR WITH BREAKING

COMING ON THE AIR WITH BREAKING NEWS, THE FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS

NEWS, THE FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP FOLLOWING

FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP FOLLOWING THE U.S. MILITARY STRIKE THAT

THE U.S. MILITARY STRIKE THAT KILLED IRANIAN'S TOP GENERAL.

KILLED IRANIAN'S TOP GENERAL. LET'S LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT IN

LET'S LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT IN FLORIDA.

FLORIDA. >> SOL MOOINY WAS PLANNING BUT

>> SOL MOOINY WAS PLANNING BUT WE CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT AND

WE CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT AND TERMINATED HIM.

TERMINATED HIM. UNDER MY LEADERSHIP, AMERICA'S

UNDER MY LEADERSHIP, AMERICA'S POLICY IS UNAMBIGUOUS TO

POLICY IS UNAMBIGUOUS TO TERRORISTS WHO HARM OR INTERNED

TERRORISTS WHO HARM OR INTERNED TO HARM ANY AMERICAN.

TO HARM ANY AMERICAN. WE'LL FIND YOU, ELIMINATE YOU,

WE'LL FIND YOU, ELIMINATE YOU, ALWAYS PROTECT OUR DIPLOMATS,

ALWAYS PROTECT OUR DIPLOMATS, SERVICE MEMBERS, ALL AMERICANS,

SERVICE MEMBERS, ALL AMERICANS, AND OUR ALLIES.

AND OUR ALLIES. FOR YEARS THE ISLAMIC

FOR YEARS THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS AND

REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS AND ITS RUTHLESS CUDS FORCE HAS

ITS RUTHLESS CUDS FORCE HAS INJURED HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN

INJURED HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN CIVILIANS AND SERVICEMEN.

CIVILIANS AND SERVICEMEN. THE RECENT ATTACKS ON U.S.

THE RECENT ATTACKS ON U.S. TARGETS IN IRAQ INCLUDING ROCKET

TARGETS IN IRAQ INCLUDING ROCKET STRIKES THAT KILLED AN AMERICAN

STRIKES THAT KILLED AN AMERICAN AND INJURED FOUR AMERICAN

AND INJURED FOUR AMERICAN SERVICEMEN VERY BADLY, AS WELL

SERVICEMEN VERY BADLY, AS WELL AS A VIOLENT ASSAULT ON OUR

AS A VIOLENT ASSAULT ON OUR EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD, WERE CARRIED

EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD, WERE CARRIED OUT AT THE DIRECTION OF SOL

OUT AT THE DIRECTION OF SOL MAINI, SOLA MANI MADE THE DEATH

MAINI, SOLA MANI MADE THE DEATH OF INNOCENT PEOPLE HIS SICK

OF INNOCENT PEOPLE HIS SICK PASSION, CONTRIBUTING TO PLOTS

PASSION, CONTRIBUTING TO PLOTS AS FAR AWAY AS NEW DELI AND

AS FAR AWAY AS NEW DELI AND LONDON.

LONDON. WE TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT

WE TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT HIS REIGN OF TERROR IS OVER.

HIS REIGN OF TERROR IS OVER. SOLA MAINI HAS BEEN PERPETRATING

SOLA MAINI HAS BEEN PERPETRATING ACTS OF TERROR TO DESTABILIZE

ACTS OF TERROR TO DESTABILIZE THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE LAST 20

THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, WHAT THE UNITED STATES

YEARS, WHAT THE UNITED STATES DID YESTERDAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN

DID YESTERDAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE LONG AGO.

DONE LONG AGO. A LOT OF LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN

A LOT OF LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED.

SAVED. JUST RECENT SAUL MANI LED THE

JUST RECENT SAUL MANI LED THE BRUTAL PROTESTERS IN IRAN WHERE

BRUTAL PROTESTERS IN IRAN WHERE MORE THAN A THOUSAND INNOCENTS

MORE THAN A THOUSAND INNOCENTS WERE TORTURED AND KILLED BY

WERE TORTURED AND KILLED BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.

THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. WE TOOK ACthsTION TO STOP A WAR.

WE TOOK ACthsTION TO STOP A WAR. WE DID NOT TAKE ACTION TO START

WE DID NOT TAKE ACTION TO START A WAR.

A WAR. I HAVE DEEP RESPECT FOR THE

I HAVE DEEP RESPECT FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE.

IRANIAN PEOPLE. THEY ARE A REMARKABLE PEOPLE

THEY ARE A REMARKABLE PEOPLE WITH INCREDIBLE HERITAGE AND

WITH INCREDIBLE HERITAGE AND UNLIMITED POTENTIAL.

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL. WE DO NOT SEEK REGIME CHANGE.

WE DO NOT SEEK REGIME CHANGE. HOWEVER THE IRANIAN'S REGIME AND

HOWEVER THE IRANIAN'S REGIME AND AGGRESSION INCLUDING THE USE OF

AGGRESSION INCLUDING THE USE OF PROXY FIGHTERS TO DESTABILIZE

PROXY FIGHTERS TO DESTABILIZE THEIR NEIGHBORS MUST END NOW.

THEIR NEIGHBORS MUST END NOW. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF IRAN, THOSE WHO SEEK PEACEFUL

OF IRAN, THOSE WHO SEEK PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE AND COOPERATION, NOT

COEXISTENCE AND COOPERATION, NOT TO TERRORISTS WARLORDS WHO

TO TERRORISTS WARLORDS WHO PLUNDER THEIR NATION TO FINANCE

PLUNDER THEIR NATION TO FINANCE BLOODSHED ABROAD.

BLOODSHED ABROAD. THE UNITED STATES HAS THE BEST

THE UNITED STATES HAS THE BEST MILITARY BY FAR ANYWHERE IF THE

MILITARY BY FAR ANYWHERE IF THE WORLD.

WORLD. WE HAVE THE BEST INTELLIGENCE IN

WE HAVE THE BEST INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORLD.

THE WORLD. IF AMERICANS ANYWHERE ARE

IF AMERICANS ANYWHERE ARE THREATENED WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE

THREATENED WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE TARGETS ALREADY FULLY

TARGETS ALREADY FULLY IDENTIFIED, AND I AM READY AND

IDENTIFIED, AND I AM READY AND PREPARED TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION

PREPARED TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION IS NECESSARY.

IS NECESSARY. AND THAT IN PARTICULAR REFERS TO

AND THAT IN PARTICULAR REFERS TO IRAN.

IRAN. MY LEADERSHIP, WE HAVE DESTROYED

MY LEADERSHIP, WE HAVE DESTROYED THE ISIS TERRITORIAL CALIPHATE,

THE ISIS TERRITORIAL CALIPHATE, AND RECENTLY AMERICAN SPECIAL

AND RECENTLY AMERICAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES KILLED THE

OPERATIONS FORCES KILLED THE TERRORIST LEADER KNOWN AS AL

TERRORIST LEADER KNOWN AS AL BAGHDADI.

BAGHDADI. THE WORLD IS A SAFER PLACE

THE WORLD IS A SAFER PLACE WITHOUT THESE MONSTERS.

WITHOUT THESE MONSTERS. AMERICA WILL ALWAYS PURSUE THE

AMERICA WILL ALWAYS PURSUE THE INTERESTS OF GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT

INTERESTS OF GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT PEOPLE, GREAT SOULS WHILE

PEOPLE, GREAT SOULS WHILE SEEKING PEACE, MAURMUHARMONY AND

SEEKING PEACE, MAURMUHARMONY AND FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL OF THE

FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL OF THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. GOD PRESS YOU, GOD BLESS OUR