US President Donald Trump on Wednesday gave the US military an extraordinary rating for its performance in the war with Iran, saying the campaign had achieved rapid progress in less than a week.
Speaking to technology executives at the White House, Trump said the US and its allies were gaining the upper hand in the conflict.
“We’re doing well on the war front, to put it mildly. Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15,” Trump said.
The President added that the United States was now in a commanding position as Iranian leadership figures continued to be targeted during the military campaign.
“We’re in a very strong position now, and their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks came as the war entered its fifth day, with fresh explosions reported across the Middle East and US forces continuing coordinated operations alongside Israel.
In one of the most dramatic developments, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, marking a major escalation in naval combat during the conflict.
The Pentagon has said the ongoing campaign aims to cripple Iran’s missile capabilities and degrade its military infrastructure.
Trump said the operation was rapidly eliminating one of Tehran’s most important weapons systems.
“Their arsenal of ballistic missiles is being wiped out rapidly,” the President said.
The US leader again defended the decision to attack Iran, arguing that the country was moving closer to acquiring nuclear weapons.
“When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen,” Trump said.
The President insisted that the strikes were necessary to prevent Tehran from threatening the United States and its allies.
Trump also vowed to press ahead with the joint US-Israeli air campaign, which began with sweeping strikes on Iranian targets earlier in the week.
“We will continue forward,” Trump said, indicating that the operation was far from over.
US officials say the strikes have already significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities, including its missile forces and naval assets.
Despite the administration’s confident tone, Trump has not yet laid out a detailed plan for what happens after the war ends.
Critics have pointed to the president’s previous campaign promise to start “no new wars,” while the White House has avoided confirming whether Washington ultimately seeks regime change in Tehran.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is actively considering what role the United States might play in Iran once the military campaign concludes.
Source: India Today