US President Donald Trump claims Iran has lost its top leaders and military capabilities
US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran had lost its top leadership and military capabilities, saying he needed to halt further attacks on the leadership to determine who Washington should negotiate with.Speaking at a rally in Georgia, Trump said Iran had lost its aircraft, ships and senior leaders amid the ongoing conflict."They have no airplanes, no ships, no leaders, no anything... Their level-one leader is gone... their level-two leader is gone...I gotta stop killing Iranian leaders — because I gotta figure out who the hell we're negotiating with," he said.
Trump's remarks come as Washington weighs further military action against Tehran while diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement remain uncertain.
On Sunday, he ruled out an immediate US strike on Iran, telling reporters there would be no attack that day."We have two very different sets of intelligence reports," Trump said, describing the information available to his administration as "very advanced". He maintained that Washington was doing "well with Iran".However, Trump has continued to signal that further military action remains an option if negotiations fail.
In an interview with Fox News, he framed the decision as a choice between reaching an agreement with Tehran and escalating the conflict."Do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off? That's the only question," he said.Trump also claimed that the US now controls the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that has remained central to the confrontation with Iran."Remember, we now control the Hormuz Strait. They get nothing. Yes, we get everything," he said, describing US enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports and shipping as successful.Despite a ceasefire and efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement, tensions remain high, with Washington continuing to weigh diplomatic and military options.