WASHINGTON — President Trump declared Sunday that the United States has effectively dismantled Iran's military, saying the country's air force, air defenses, and missile capabilities have been wiped out — yet he declined to formally declare the war over, signaling the campaign against Tehran is not yet finished.
"I think I'd just say they're decimated," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "If we left right now, it would take them ten years and more to rebuild. But I'm still not declaring it over."
A Military, He Says, Left Without Defense
Trump claimed the U.S. has taken out Iran's air force and air defense systems entirely, leaving the country with "no air defense whatsoever." He said Iran's drone and missile stockpiles have been similarly degraded since the conflict erupted two weeks ago, though he offered no independent verification of those claims and the Pentagon has not released a detailed damage assessment.
Trump described the U.S. and Israeli militaries as "very well coordinated," saying the two countries hold "similar objectives" in the campaign against Iran.
Israel Strikes a Symbolic Target in Tehran
Overnight, Israel sharpened the psychological dimension of the war with a strike aimed squarely at the legacy of the man whose death started it all. The Israeli Air Force conducted a precision strike at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, destroying the aircraft that had been used by former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — killed in the opening salvo of the war two weeks ago — as well as by senior officials and military personnel.
The Israel Defense Forces called the plane a "strategic asset", saying it had been used to advance military procurement and coordinate with allied governments through domestic and international flights. Its destruction, the IDF said, would hamper the regime's ability to rebuild its capabilities and maintain ties with its regional allies.
Khamenei was succeeded after his death by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was also reportedly wounded in the early strikes.The younger Khamenei has since issued defiant statements vowing continued retaliation, but has not appeared publicly.
A War With No Declared End
The strikes on Tehran come as the broader humanitarian toll mounts and global energy markets remain deeply unsettled. Brent crude has hovered near $104 per barrel since the conflict began, driven by fears over the continued disruption of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
The Trump administration has faced growing pressure at home to provide a clearer exit strategy, with more than 250 American organizations calling on Congress to halt war funding and a key Senate committee chairman announcing plans for a public oversight hearing with senior Pentagon officials. The administration has estimated the first six days of the conflict alone cost $11.3 billion.
Trump has offered no timeline for winding down operations. When pressed by reporters earlier in the week on how he would know when the war was over, he offered a characteristically blunt answer: he would feel it, he said, "in my bones."
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