President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces have completely destroyed the Islamic Republic's military capabilities, leadership, and nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer, vowing to finish the job to prevent the regime from rebuilding.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that American forces have effectively neutralized the Islamic Republic's military capabilities and eradicated its leadership. According to Iran International, a major diaspora news network known for its staunch opposition to the Iranian government, Trump stated to reporters that the United States has completely destroyed the regime's air force, navy, and air defense systems.
The extensive damage was reportedly inflicted during a campaign Trump referred to as Operation Midnight Hammer. Vahid Online, a prominent anti-regime citizen journalist channel, quoted the President speaking to a crowd in Kentucky, where he claimed the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities were wiped out. Trump asserted that the regime's air force is "gone—completely gone" and that the initial destruction took merely "about three hours."
Trump provided stark statistics regarding the military collapse, according to Vahid Online: Missiles: Stockpiles reduced by 90% Drones: Fleet reduced by 85%
Despite the immediate success of Operation Midnight Hammer, Trump emphasized the necessity of a prolonged U.S. operational presence to prevent the Islamic Republic from reconstituting its forces. Reflecting on past actions, he noted that after initial strikes, the U.S. left and the regime simply started rebuilding. "We don't want to leave early, right? We have to finish the job, right?" Trump told the Kentucky crowd, adding, "We don't want to come back every two years and see the same story again."
Both source channels (Iran International and Vahid Online) are deeply antagonistic toward the Iranian government, consistently referring to it as the 'Islamic Republic' rather than 'Iran'—a framing faithfully preserved in the digest to reflect the original editorial posture. The narrative focuses entirely on Trump's assertions without providing statements from Iranian officials.