Donald Trump Trump claimed on Monday that the United States had “totally destroyed” Iran’s military capabilities, saying U.S. forces had struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran since the conflict began, even as he urged other countries to work together to ensure the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Ahead of a meeting with the Kennedy Center board, Trump gave one of his most comprehensive assessments yet of the U.S.-led campaign against Iran, claiming Tehran’s air force, navy, air defense and command structures had been compromised.Trump said: “Over the past few days, we have continued an all-out forceful military campaign to end the threat posed by the Iranian regime. They have been virtually eliminated. The Air Force is gone. The Navy is gone. Many, many ships have been sunk.”“They were combat ships, the anti-aircraft guns were destroyed, the radar disappeared, the leaders disappeared. Other than that, they did a great job,” he added.
Trump claims US launched more than 7,000 attacks, Iran attacks plummet
Trump said that since the war began, the United States has attacked more than 7,000 targets across Iran, including commercial and military locations, and claimed that the operation significantly weakened Tehran’s offensive capabilities.Trump said: “Since the beginning of the conflict, we have struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran, most of them commercial and military targets. We have reduced the number of ballistic missile launches by 90% and reduced the number of drone strikes by 95%.”He added that the United States has also attacked facilities involved in the production of missiles and drones.“We also hit manufacturing plants, places where missiles and drones are made, and that’s still happening today. We just hit three of them today,” he said.Trump further claimed that more than 100 Iranian naval vessels had been “sinked or destroyed” over the past week and a half, including 30 minelayers, as Washington sought to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Gulf.“We are actively dismantling Iran’s defense industrial base and its ability to rebuild its missile and drone capabilities is approaching zero,” he said.
Kharg Island attack claims and warnings about Iran’s oil infrastructure
Trump also said the U.S. struck Khag Island, home to Iran’s main oil export terminal, but claimed Washington deliberately avoided completely destroying energy infrastructure.“We attacked Kharg Island and destroyed it. We destroyed everything on the island except where the oil was. We left the pipelines behind,” Trump said.“We didn’t want to do that, but we were going to do that … but in order to one day rebuild this country, I think we did the right thing,” he added.Tehran accused the United States, without evidence, of using the UAE’s “ports, terminals and hideouts” to launch the attack on Al-Kharg Island.
Trump says Strait of Hormuz is in “very good shape” but asks other countries to “come and help us”
Despite claims of battlefield success, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz – a strategic waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil trade typically flows – remained vulnerable due to its narrow geography and Iran’s ability to launch short-range attacks.“We’re in very good shape (in the Strait of Hormuz). We’ve dealt with Iran, but now, because literally a terrorist can launch a missile and the range is pretty close because it’s a narrow area… Iran has been using it as an economic weapon,” Trump said.“It’s not going to be available for a long time. Many countries tell me they’re on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it, some are countries we’ve been helping for many, many years,” he added.Earlier, Trump said he wanted countries that depend on the flow of Gulf oil to step up their efforts.“Please come and help us with the Straits,” he said, according to CBS News, but added that he would not specify which countries had agreed to provide aid.Trump’s comments come as the United States continues to try to form a coalition to protect shipping through the waterway after Iranian attacks and mining threats effectively disrupted tanker traffic.
Allies react tepidly to Trump’s call for Navy support
But so far, Trump’s calls have been met with cautious and, in some cases, outright negative responses from allies.U.S. allies around the world have either reacted lukewarmly or rejected Trump’s call to send warships to escort commercial ships transiting the Persian Gulf, reflecting tensions in Washington’s alliance after the United States and Israel went to war without extensive prior consultation.The toughest rejection came from Germany, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying, “This is not our war; we did not start it,” according to the New York Times.Japan, Italy and Australia said on Monday they would not participate in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while France, South Korea and the United Kingdom were noncommittal.In London, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would not “be drawn into a wider war” while still working with allies to develop what he called a “workable collective plan” to restore freedom of navigation in the Channel.Starmer said Britain was discussing with the United States and partners in Europe and the Gulf about using mine-sweeping drones already stationed in the region, but suggested Britain was unlikely to send warships.Italy also showed reluctance. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome supported strengthening the EU’s naval missions in the Red Sea, but added, “I do not think these missions can be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz.”Trump also publicly warned that a lack of support from allies could damage the alliance. He told the Financial Times on Sunday that if NATO members refused or responded negatively, “it would be very detrimental to the future of NATO”.
