President Donald Trump revealed new details about covert U.S. military operations against Iran, saying the campaign lasted for months and ended with Tehran agreeing to negotiate. In an interview reported Saturday by Fox News, Trump said U.S. forces destroyed most of Iran’s naval and air capabilities, sank 159 ships and shot down about 200 fighter jets after neutralizing Iranian air defenses.
Trump described the operation as unfolding at night and in complete secrecy. He said American forces would leave at 1 a.m. with the lights off, approach Iranian vessels, and remain undetected for weeks. He said the key was first eliminating Iran’s radar and air-defense systems, which left Tehran “blind” at sea. Trump also claimed the operation wiped out Iran’s “first tier” of command, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and then the replacement leadership as well.
Asked whether the deal amounted to unconditional surrender, Trump replied, “Well, it’s probably really unconditional surrender.” He also linked the military success to gains inside the United States, saying it helped push up the U.S. stock market, drive down oil prices, and secure the promise that “Iran will never have nuclear weapons.” Trump separately boasted that crime in Washington, D.C. fell 94% in a year and said the city had been transformed from a “death trap” into a safe place.
The article says top administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had set hard goals during the months-long campaign, namely destroying Iran’s air force, navy and missile-production infrastructure. The disclosure comes as Washington presses ahead with nuclear talks, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner already in Switzerland and Vice President JD Vance expected to join them soon. Their team is set to meet an Iranian delegation led by parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military command said the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to traffic in response to alleged U.S. violations and what it called ongoing Israeli ceasefire breaches in southern Lebanon. Iran warned the closure was only the first step and that more action could follow, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy warned all ships in the area that approaching the strait would immediately endanger their safety. Israel has ordered a ceasefire in the north, and a senior political official warned that if Hezbollah attacks again, Israel will strike back.
