U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran’s military capabilities have been severely weakened following recent U.S. and Israeli operations, saying the country now retains only a fraction of its original missile arsenal.
Speaking in an interview with NBC News, Trump said American and Israeli strikes had significantly damaged Iran’s drone and missile production infrastructure, leaving Tehran with what he described as just 21% to 22% of its pre-conflict missile capacity.
“We know where their drones are and where their drone factories are,” Trump said, adding that most of those facilities, along with key missile production sites, had been destroyed during the military campaign.
While declining to provide exact intelligence figures, Trump said U.S. officials have a clear understanding of Iran’s remaining military capabilities. He acknowledged that Iran still possesses missiles and drones but insisted the stockpile is far smaller than it was before the conflict escalated.
The comments come after the U.S. military reportedly carried out strikes on Iranian radar installations in response to missile and drone attacks attributed to Tehran. The United States Central Command said it had successfully intercepted incoming Iranian drones and missiles during recent confrontations.
Trump Blames Iranian Leadership for Lack of Deal
Trump also addressed the failure of ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, arguing that Iran’s leadership has been unwilling to accept the extent of the damage inflicted on its military infrastructure.
“I think they cannot believe they are in a position where they have been almost completely crippled,” Trump said, accusing Iranian leaders of arrogance and resistance to compromise.
According to Trump, Iran is now facing difficult choices it never expected to confront before the conflict.
‘Nuclear Threat Must Be Eliminated’
The U.S. president reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a central objective of his administration.
Trump said the United States has largely succeeded in stopping Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state and vowed that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions would be defeated either through a negotiated agreement or through continued pressure.
“We were not going to allow it to happen,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s potential nuclear weapons capability.
Claims of Heavy Damage to Iran’s Navy
Trump also claimed Iran’s naval forces suffered major losses during the military campaign. He said numerous naval assets were targeted over several days of operations and described the maritime blockade imposed during the conflict as unprecedented.
The White House has not publicly released detailed assessments supporting all of Trump’s claims, while Iranian officials have continued to dispute U.S. and Israeli accounts of the damage inflicted on their military forces.
The latest remarks underscore the continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran as diplomatic negotiations remain uncertain and military pressure continues across the region.
