On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s military had been “literally obliterated” due to the U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury. He mentioned that he is attempting to engage Iranian officials to discuss a potential deal, although he expressed uncertainty about whether those he’s talking to possess genuine authority to negotiate for a government that seems to be lacking coherent leadership.
Before meeting with the board of the Kennedy Center, President Trump informed reporters that a series of attacks by the U.S. and Israel had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.
“They were literally wiped out,” Trump declared. “The air force is gone. The navy is gone. Many ships are sunk. The anti-aircraft guns are destroyed, the radar is gone, the leaders are gone.”
He indicated that the operation had successfully struck over 7,000 targets across Iran, hampering its ability to demonstrate military strength in the region.
“We’ve achieved a 90% reduction in ballistic missile launches and a 95% reduction in drone strikes,” he added, noting that Iranian missile launches have decreased to “a trickle” due to the loss of stock.
Additionally, he explained that the campaign also aimed to dismantle Iran’s military production capabilities, particularly its missile and drone programs.
“We just attacked three of them today,” Trump stated, referring to the facilities that manufacture these weapons. “It’s becoming very difficult to manufacture.”
He further commented on the degradation of Iran’s naval forces, which have previously posed threats to shipping and regional security, claiming that more than 100 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed in the past week and a half.
Regarding Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export facility, Trump stated, “We attacked Kharg Island and literally destroyed everything on the island except for the areas where the oil was.” He pointed out that while the oil infrastructure remains intact—for now—it could be targeted in the future.
“You can lift it with five minutes’ notice,” he warned. “One word and you’ll run out of pipes.”
While Trump mentioned he has reached out to Iranian officials to explore a possible agreement, he remained cautious about their authority to negotiate. “They want a deal. They’re talking to the people,” he noted. “I don’t know if they’re ready yet. They’re excited.”
He highlighted uncertainty within the Iranian government, particularly following ongoing attacks on senior leaders. “We don’t even know who their leaders are,” he commented. “The first group all died. The second group met to choose a leader, but the second group was knocked out.”
“Then a third group met,” Trump continued, “but we don’t know who their leaders are. There are people who want to negotiate, but we don’t know who they are.”
He also raised concerns about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not made a public appearance since assuming office, suggesting that he may be in bad health or possibly deceased.
“Many people say he’s severely disfigured. They claim he’s lost a leg. Others say he is dead,” Trump said. “No one said he was 100 percent healthy, and we never saw him at all.”
Trump maintained that the ongoing campaign has transformed Iran from a long-standing threat into a significantly weakened entity. “What we’re dealing with right now is a papier-mâché tiger,” he remarked. “Two weeks ago it wasn’t a papier-mâché tiger. Now it’s a papier-mâché tiger.”
Even so, he firmly stated that the U.S. would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, emphasizing, “We cannot allow the most violent country in the last 50 years to have nuclear weapons.”
