Trump says Iran’s navy, air force ‘knocked out’ as new phase of war begins; warns of leadership vacuum
“Iran no longer has a navy, an air force, or a weather detection system. Almost everything has been disabled,” Trump said, adding that new attacks were on the way. “Today there was another blow to the new leadership… The third wave is coming.”
Answering journalists’ questions, Trump said he ordered the attack on Iran because he “had a feeling” that Iran would attack the United States while negotiations on its nuclear program were stalled.
He offered no evidence to support his view. Iran was expecting a new round of talks with US envoys following the talks held in Geneva last Thursday.
Trump said Iran still launches missiles, but predicted Tehran would eventually lose that ability due to continued attacks on them.
The remarks mark a dramatic escalation in the conflict between Washington and Tehran, which intensified after US-led strikes targeted key Iranian military and command facilities.
Trump said the United States took action because it believed Iran was preparing the first attack. “I felt strongly that Iran would attack first, depending on the course of the talks,” Duran said, referring to diplomatic efforts. Even as he expressed confidence in military action, Trump acknowledged concerns about what might follow the collapse of the regime.
“The worst-case scenario is that we hit Iran and someone who is just as bad as the last person takes over,” he said. “Five years in, when you hire someone, you realize they’re not any better.”
He added that “most of the people in our minds are dead,” suggesting that multiple levels of Iran’s leadership were targeted.
Trump also signaled hopes for political change in Tehran, saying the United States “wants to see someone better emerge” in Iran. He described Crown Prince Ali Reza as “a very good person” in passing, adding that there were “moderate people” who could lead.
US trade with Spain
Trump also threatened to “cut off all trade” with Spain and hinted at punitive measures for what he described as the country’s failure to meet NATO defense spending expectations; The dispute first arose last year when he threatened to impose tariffs on Madrid for not agreeing to a 5 percent defense spending target agreed by NATO members.
Trump argued that key allies needed to pull their weight and singled out Spain while also voicing his displeasure with Britain’s handling of recent events. “Spain has great people but they don’t have great leadership,” he said at the same briefing, insisting that Europe must abide by its shared security commitments.
Trump also touched on economic concerns sparked by the conflict, expressing confidence that oil prices may rise temporarily but eventually fall once Iran’s military campaign ends, and insisted that the United States has eliminated Tehran’s ability to project power across the region. He said Washington wants “someone better to emerge” in Iran’s leadership once the current phase of the war is over and pointed to moderate figures as potential alternatives.
Iran’s capacity has decreased
According to Trump, Iran still launches some missiles, but its capacity is rapidly decreasing. “They’re still lobbying for some missiles, but soon they won’t be able to do that. We’re destroying too many things,” he said.
He also claimed that Iran was “attacking countries that have nothing to do with what’s going on,” although he didn’t elaborate.
Trade negotiations with Germany
The briefing also focused on economic ties; Trump said he and Merz shared a “great rapport” and would discuss “some very big trade deals.”
Merz said he wants a trade agreement between the United States and Germany to come into effect “as soon as possible.”
The escalation of military tensions and the dual focus on trade diplomacy underscore the risky nature of the moment as Washington balances the war in West Asia with economic negotiations between allies.
The situation remains stable and further developments are expected as the conflict enters what Trump has described as a “third wave”.
Trump claimed that it was Iran, not Israel, that attacked first
Trump claims Iran is preparing for first strike; but Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said the US strikes were launched after intelligence showed the planned Israeli action would trigger Iranian retaliation against American forces.
