'THEY CALLED AND ASKED WE WANT TO TALK, I SAID...': Trump's BIG statement on Iran

President Donald Trump on Thursday said (March 5) that the United States military is progressing ‘far ahead of schedule’ in the war against Iran. “The United States military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to totally demolish the enemy, far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before,” the president said.

Trump’s statement came as Israel’s military chief said that the country is moving into the ‘next phase’ of the war with Iran after conducting 2,500 strikes and deploying more than 6,000 weapons.

He said, “The US military continues to demolish the enemy ahead of schedule. They are tough, and they wanna fight. They called and asked, we wanna talk, I said you are a bit late. I call on the IRGC, Police, and all to lay down their arms or get killed. Let's shape a new Iran, a great country with a great future. The US will ensure whoever leads the country will not threaten the US.”

Also Read: The missile math problem: Why Iran’s cheap drones are costing America millions

Trump also claimed that Iran has reached out seeking a deal to end the war. “They’re calling, they’re saying, ‘How do we make a deal?” Trump said at the White House. “I said, ‘You’re being a little bit late, and we want to fight now more than they do.” His comments came as he touted what he described as US military progress, saying the armed forces “continue to demolish the enemy.” Trump did not identify who on the Iranian side had made contact or indicate whether the outreach had led to any serious efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.

Trump said Iran’s naval and air capabilities have been eliminated, claiming the United States destroyed significant military assets during the conflict. “Their navy is gone,” Trump said, adding that the US had wiped out “24 ships in three days." He also said that Iran’s anti-aircraft weapons and aircraft “are gone.” Trump made the brief remarks while opening an event honouring the Major League Soccer champions, Inter Miami. He did not provide further details about the operations, making it difficult to immediately verify the accuracy of his claims. "They have no air force, they have no air defense,” the president said.

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.