Trump Says Iran's Military Crippled As US Weighs Next Steps

(MENAFN- IANS) Washington, March 8 (IANS) President Donald Trump said the United States had severely weakened Iran's military after a week of fighting, while signalling that Washington holds strong negotiating leverage but is not actively pursuing a settlement with Tehran.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Trump described the early phase of the conflict as a decisive blow against Iran's armed forces. The United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28.

“We've wiped out their Navy, 44 ships. We've wiped out their Air Force. Every plane,” Trump said. He said American strikes had also crippled Iran's missile capabilities and launch infrastructure.

“We've knocked out about 70 per cent of the rocket launchers,” he said, adding that the systems were“very hard to get, very expensive.”

According to Trump, the reduction in launchers and manufacturing capacity has sharply reduced Iran's ability to retaliate.“They're at about 9 per cent of what they sent out in the first two days,” he said.

Trump said the Iranian military had been pushed close to collapse.“The military is almost non-existent,” he said.

The president declined to estimate how long the conflict might last, saying only that operations would continue as necessary.“I don't know. Whatever it takes,” he said when asked about it.

Trump also suggested that the conflict had already reshaped Iran's leadership structure.

“We got rid of the one leadership, then we got rid of the second level of leadership,” he said, adding that Iran was now operating under leaders“that nobody even knows who they are.”

Despite the military pressure, Trump indicated Washington was not urgently seeking a diplomatic resolution.

“We've got a lot of negotiating leverage. Maybe maximum,” he said.“They'd like to settle, we're not looking to settle.”

Trump pointed to Iran's recent apology to neighbouring Middle Eastern states following earlier attacks as evidence that Tehran was already backing down.

“They apologised to the Middle Eastern states that they shot at them,” he said.“That's a surrender right there,” he added.

The president also rejected accusations that US forces had struck a girls' school in Iran during the opening phase of the conflict.

“In my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump said. Asked whether Russia was assisting Tehran, Trump said he had seen no indication of support.

“No, I haven't had any indication of that whatsoever,” he said.

Trump also ruled out allowing Kurdish forces to enter the conflict despite their willingness to do so.

“We're very friendly with the Kurds as you know, but we don't want to make the war any more complex than it is,” he said, adding later:“I don't want the Kurds going in.”

When asked whether Iran's territorial structure might change after the war, Trump said it was possible.

“Probably not,” he said when asked if the country would look the same after the conflict.

Trump said the campaign was intended to permanently weaken Iran's ability to threaten regional stability.

“When this ends, we're going to have a much safer world,” he said.

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