Trump: Iran ‘essentially defeated,’ wants to talk but not ready

The Iranian regime wants “badly” to talk but isn’t ready, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, adding that Tehran is “essentially defeated” and that “Operation Epic Fury” will continue until its goals are met.

“I guess they can have a little bit of fight back, but not much. We’ve taken out their air force, navy, air defenses, no air defense whatsoever. We’ve taken out their leadership times two or three, might be three, we’ll find out soon. But militarily it’s been amazing,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“They want to negotiate badly, as they should, but I don’t think they’re ready to do what they have to do. But I think they will be ready at some point,” said Trump.

The Americans and Israelis launched joint military operations against the Iranian regime on Feb. 28, killing key leadership and targeting the Islamic Republic’s military and security infrastructure, including ballistic missile, drone and nuclear sites as well as command-and-control centers.

Trump touted the “very strong results militarily,” including a significant reduction in the regime’s ability to fire missiles and drones.

“Their missiles are down to a low number; you see they’re shooting very few of them. You know why? Because they don’t have very many of them and because we’ve decimated their manufacturing capability. Likewise, the drones are way down, about 20% of what they had, and as of yesterday, we’re hitting places where they manufacture drones, most of which we know where they are,” said Trump.

The White House posted to X on Saturday that “Iran’s ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed. Their navy assessed combat ineffective. Complete and total aerial dominance over Iran,” adding that “‘Operation Epic Fury’ is yielding massive results.”

According to the White House, there has been a 95% decrease in Iranian drone attacks, more than 90 Iranian vessels sunk or destroyed and over 6,000 Iranian targets struck.

“So it’s a very strong military operation, just as it was in Venezuela,” Trump said. “We have the strongest military anywhere in the world by far, not even a contest, and I think people understand that and we will finish the job.”

He called on other countries, particularly those dependent on Arab Gulf oil, to participate in securing shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said U.S. forces attacked Iran’s Kharj Island, a key oil export terminal in the Arabian Gulf, leaving only one section intact. He suggested the strike could be expanded at any moment. “We have it all locked and loaded and ready to go if we want to do it,” he said. “But we chose not to do it. I chose not to do it.”

The president said he was in talks with other nations to share responsibility for policing the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes. He singled out China as heavily dependent on the waterway and urged NATO allies to contribute to maritime security efforts.

“China is an example—it’s about 90% from the Hormuz Strait—and it would be nice to have other countries police that with us, and we’ll help, we’ll work with them,” Trump said. “It will be interesting to see what country wouldn’t help us with a very small endeavor, which is just keeping the Strait open.”

(Around 45–50% of China’s crude oil imports normally come from Persian Gulf producers. Of that, 90% passes through the Strait of Hormuz.)