‘Methodically dismantling them’: US CENTCOM claims Iran ‘losing air capability’ amid West Asia war – WATCH

As the war continues in West Asia, the United States Central Command on Wednesday (Mar 11) said that Iran is “losing air capability” against the US forces. It added that the American military is not just defending against Iranian threats but is “methodically dismantling them.”

“The Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day. US forces aren’t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them,” CENTCOM said on X.

On February 28, the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Azerbaijan.

In a recent declaration, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Mar 11) claimed victory in the war with Iran, without providing any evidence to support his remarks. “Let me say we’ve won. You know, you never like to say too early that you won. We won. We won, in the first hour it was over, but we won,” he said.

On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday (Mar 12) has set three conditions to end the raging war. In a first statement on ending war, Pezeshkian said, “The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime & US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.”

Following the supreme leader’s death, Iran’s Assembly of Experts has selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader on Sunday (Mar 8), marking the first time the position passed from father to son in the Islamic Republic’s history. However, multiple reports suggested that his selection was forced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was opposed by several clerics, who reportedly boycotted the meeting where his selection was made.

Since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on February 28, Mojtaba has not made an appearance or statement in public. Following speculations that he has been severely injured in the strikes, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, said on Wednesday (Mar 11) that Mojtaba is “safe and sound” despite injuries sustained during the ongoing war.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.