US President Donald Trump claims Iran's military and nuclear capabilities are completely destroyed following devastating strikes, while Israeli PM Netanyahu urges Iranians to overthrow the government. In response, Iranian commanders threaten catastrophic regional responses to any attacks on infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have aggressively declared the near-total destruction of the Islamic Republic's military capabilities, indicating the current war is overwhelmingly shifting in their favor. According to Iran International—a London-based network with a strong editorial stance against the Iranian government—Trump asserted that the US has won the war and the "job was done in the first hour."
Speaking to Axios, Trump claimed that "whenever I want the war to end, it ends" because there is virtually nothing left to target in Iran. Vahid Online, a popular citizen-journalism channel known for its anti-regime posture, highlighted Trump's assertion that the Iranian Air Force is "gone—completely gone," with its missile capabilities reduced by 90% and drones by 85%. Trump also announced that US forces eliminated 28 Iranian naval mines and that Iran's nuclear capabilities were destroyed during a mission he referred to as "Operation Midnight Hammer."
Despite the staggering tactical victories, the war has not officially ended. Trump noted that after the initial operation, Iran "restarted," necessitating a continued American presence so the US does not have to "return every two years." Furthermore, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the war will continue "without time limit" until all military goals are achieved, with planning for at least two more weeks of strikes inside Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly mocked Iran's newly installed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Addressing the press via video from an undisclosed location, Netanyahu stated, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't issue them life insurance," labeling Khamenei a "puppet of the IRGC" who cannot even show his face in public.
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel continues to deliver hard blows to the IRGC and Basij forces "both in the streets and at checkpoints." Directing his message straight to the Iranian public, he claimed that Israel is intentionally using its airstrikes to "create the optimal conditions" and space for citizens to take to the streets and trigger regime change, though he emphasized that ultimately, "it is in your hands."
In stark contrast to the narratives of a collapsed military, the Islamic Republic's leadership issued apocalyptic threats of asymmetric retaliation across the Middle East. As reported by Vahid Online, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the IRGC's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that the "slightest attack on the energy infrastructure and ports of the Islamic Republic" would trigger a "crushing and destructive response."
Zolfaghari threatened that in the event of such aggression, all regional oil and gas infrastructure benefiting the US and Western allies would be burned and destroyed. Amplifying this threat, Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warned that if the US attacks Iran's power facilities, "the entire region will suffer a blackout within half an hour."
Both Iran International and Vahid Online operate with a clear opposition/anti-regime bias. They emphasize the comprehensive destruction of the Islamic Republic's military by quoting Trump and Netanyahu extensively, while framing the Iranian counter-statements from the IRGC and SNSC as apocalyptic or desperate regional threats. The background context regarding Afghan currency fluctuations was omitted from the digest as it lacked direct relevance to the intense military and geopolitical conflict explicitly detailed in the source texts.