US President Donald Trump claims unprecedented military strikes have destroyed the Islamic Republic's leadership and vast majority of its military capacity, though joint operations with Israel appear ongoing.
US President Donald Trump has announced that a massive military campaign against the Islamic Republic is nearing its end because there is "almost nothing left to target," according to an Axios interview cited by Vahid Online. The channel, an independent aggregator known for amplifying news critical of the Iranian government, reported Trump's assertion that the war is progressing faster than planned. Despite Trump's remarks that the war could end whenever he chooses, Vahid Online also noted that US and Israeli officials confirm no official end order has been issued, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stating the war will continue "without time limits" until all military objectives are met.
The scale of the US strikes has been unprecedented. In a press conference highlighted by Iran International—a prominent exile-run news network staunchly opposed to the Islamic Republic—Trump revealed that approximately 5,000 locations in Iran were targeted over the past 10 days. The US President declared the Islamic Republic has "almost reached the end of the line," having lost all effective navy, air force, and air defense systems, allowing the US military to operate freely in Iranian skies, according to Iran International.
Trump provided stark figures detailing the systemic dismantling of the Islamic Republic's military apparatus. He claimed that the regime's missile capacity has been reduced by 90% and its drone capacity by 85%, Iran International reported. Furthermore, Trump stated, "We have destroyed almost everything, including their leadership. Twice," according to the network. While Trump noted the US intentionally left certain vital targets intact—such as the power grid—he warned that they could be destroyed within an hour, ensuring the country could never rebuild, reported Vahid Online.
A critical focal point of the recent operations has been neutralizing maritime threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Following early intelligence signs of Iranian minelaying, Trump issued an ultimatum on Truth Social demanding the immediate removal of any naval mines, warning of unprecedented military consequences, according to Iran International.
The US military has actively engaged Iranian naval assets in the region. Trump stated that US forces have disabled 58 Islamic Republic Navy ships, destroyed 31 minelayers, and targeted 28 naval mines, Iran International detailed. This included the complete destruction of 10 inactive minelaying vessels in the Strait, the network reported. Trump subsequently promised that oil tankers navigating the vital waterway will be highly secure.
The broader regional impacts of the conflict are already materializing. Alongside Trump's expectation that the military operations will cause oil prices to drop, neighboring economies are facing profound disruptions; foreign exchange markets in nearby Afghanistan have experienced extreme speculative volatility and sharp fluctuations against the US dollar throughout the month as regional stability fractures. Ultimately, Trump framed the devastating campaign as retaliation for 47 years of death and destruction, emphasizing that the US will not withdraw until total victory is achieved to avoid returning to war "every two years," according to Iran International.
Both source channels (Vahid Online and Iran International) operate outside of Iran and maintain strong editorial stances against the Iranian government. To preserve the original framing and sentiment of the Farsi sources, the term 'Islamic Republic' is used instead of 'Iran' when referring to the state and military apparatus. All military statistics (e.g., 5,000 targets, 90% missile reduction) are attributed directly to US President Donald Trump as reported by these channels.