By Our Reporter
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States has destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and “largely destroyed” Tehran’s naval headquarters amid ongoing military operations.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the ships were “relatively large and important” and vowed that additional Iranian vessels would be targeted.
The announcement comes as tensions escalate following joint US-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, aimed at weakening Iran’s military and missile capabilities. The campaign began Saturday, according to United States Central Command.
CENTCOM confirmed that three American service members were killed and five seriously wounded during the operation. Further details were not immediately released.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier claimed responsibility for attacks on commercial tankers after the strikes began. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil route — has reportedly declined, with Iranian vessels warning commercial ships to avoid the area.
Trump described the Iranian government as “a very violent regime” and said the operation was progressing “ahead of schedule.” He also warned that any Iranian attack on the United States would be met with overwhelming force.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham said the objective of the operation was to neutralize threats rather than pursue regime change. Sen. Tom Cotton added that there were no plans for a large-scale US ground invasion.
Trump indicated he is open to discussions with Iran’s new leadership, saying Tehran had delayed negotiations that could have been resolved earlier.