US President Donald Trump claimed that the American forces have struck over 5,000 targets in Iran since the war began on February 28 and that the Tehran’s missile capability was reduced to 10%.
Speaking at the Republican Members Issues Conference in Florida, Trump said that the US military had sunk 46 “top-of-the-line” Iranian naval vessels within a span of three and a half days.
He also recounted a conversation with a US military official, saying he had questioned why the ships were sunk instead of being captured.
“Iran’s drone and missile capability is being utterly demolished. The Navy is gone. It’s all lying at the bottom of the ocean. 46 ships, can you believe it? In fact I got a little upset with our people. When I said, ‘What quality of ship?’. They said, ‘Excellent, Sir. ‘Top-of-the-line’. I said, ‘Why didn’t we just capture the ships?’ We could use it. Why did we sink them?’,” Trump said.
“He said, ‘It’s more fun to sink them’,” the US President told Republican lawmakers, drawing laughter.
“They like sinking them better. They say it’s safer to sink them. I guess it’s probably true,” Trump further said.
He also said the US military “will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated”, adding that the US “”took a little excursion” to the Middle East “to get rid of some evil”.
Trump warns Iran
President Trump later went on to threaten Iran to escalate the war if it blocked oil shipment from the Middle East.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again – Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated,” he said.
While responding to Trump’s warning, Iran said it would not let “one liter of oil” to leave the region if attacks from US and Israel further continue.
“We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson said, as per the state media.
The tensions in the Middle East has sent shockwaves across the globe as stock markets are plummeting and oil prices are rising.
The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran, killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other top political and military leaders.
The United States torpedoed an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing over 80 people. The warship, IRIS Dena, had been on a friendly visit to India when it was struck by American forces.
