‘They have nothing now’: Trump asserts Iran’s military defeat and hints at US withdrawal

Trump says US not ready to exit Iran operation but hints at imminent withdrawal

US President Donald Trump said that Washington is not yet ready to end its military operation in Iran, but added that "we'll be leaving in pretty ⁠much the very near future."

He described the war as “largely over,” asserting that US forces dismantled Iran’s core defenses and eliminated its immediate nuclear threat. Trump framed the conflict as a swift military campaign that could have concluded within days.

“Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days," he said. He claimed that Iran’s navy was “wiped out almost immediately," followed by its air force and anti-aircraft systems, leaving the country vulnerable.

“I mean, we’re flying over Iran," Trump added, emphasising the US military’s control over the region.

He also slammed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), after allies have pushed back against the US-Israel war on Iran.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said that most of America's NATO allies had informed them that they “don’t want to get involved” in the military operation, while stating that the US did not need their assistance. Later, while addressing reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said he was “disappointed” in NATO, while adding that the alliance's refusal to help was a “foolish mistake.”

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Donald Trump may delay his planned visit to China by several weeks. The US President said he now expects to travel in “about five or six weeks,” citing the ongoing war with Iran as the primary reason for the postponement.

“We have a very good working relationship with China, so we’re making it in about five or six weeks,” Trump told reporters, indicating that the trip has been pushed back as he focuses on the conflict.