US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the war with Iran has left the Islamic Republic nearly defenseless, boasting on social media that it no longer has an air force, navy, air defenses, radar, or “almost anything else.” He also mocked Democrats for saying Iran is better off than it was four months ago, asking, “How stupid can some people be?”
The remarks came after a lengthy interview with Axios, in which Trump discussed the war with Iran and his ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the report, Trump projected confidence that he can control Israel’s military moves. Asked about Netanyahu, he said, “Bibi is fine,” but added, “We had to keep him sane.” Axios reporter Marc Caputo interpreted that as a suggestion that Netanyahu had become somewhat unhinged amid the Iran negotiations and agreements.
Trump also said he worked to prevent Israel from attacking Lebanon, insisting that Israelis would do what he ordered because “Israel loves me.” The comments touched on Iran’s so-called “mosaic doctrine,” under which Tehran has built an alternate leadership network in case its top brass is eliminated. The article said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered that preparation as part of planning for a possible American-Israeli strike.
The statements came amid continued regional tension. The IDF carried out a large strike operation in southern Lebanon overnight, destroying more than 80 Hezbollah targets in response to the deaths of four Israeli soldiers, including the commander of Armored Brigade 52’s battalion. Separately, CNN reported that the United States sent a diplomatic message to Iran saying Israel was not planning to escalate in Lebanon, while noting that Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire and Israel was prepared to move past it. Those diplomatic efforts are taking place alongside ongoing US-Iran nuclear talks.
