Former US President Donald Trump has controversially demanded that Gulf nations reimburse the United States for securing the vital Strait of Hormuz, while claiming that recent American military actions have severely crippled Iran's military capabilities, effectively sending them 'back to the Stone Ages'.
Key Points
- Donald Trump asserted that Gulf nations should financially compensate the US for securing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump claimed that American military interventions have severely undermined Iran's military power, stating their naval and air assets have been largely obliterated.
- He specifically mentioned that 159 Iranian ships are 'under the sea' and 200 airplanes are 'all gone', along with radars and anti-aircraft capabilities.
- Trump contended that Iran's weapon-making capability is 'largely gone, about 84 per cent', and that the country has been 'brought back to the Stone Ages'.
- The former President reiterated his administration's firm stance against Iran's regional influence, stating, 'Iran was the bully of the Middle East, and they weren't going to be bullying me.'
President Donald Trump on Monday stated that Gulf nations ought to reimburse the United States for safeguarding maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while asserting that recent American military interventions have profoundly crippled Iran's military capabilities.
Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump expressed that Washington should receive financial compensation for securing one of the planet's most strategically vital maritime corridors.
Claims of Crippled Iranian Military
Later, in an interview with Newsmax, the US President noted that American strikes had severely undermined Iran's military power, stating, "Their power has been largely taken away."
He asserted that a significant portion of Tehran's naval and air assets had been obliterated.
Trump stated, "Now, they have something left, but it's been largely taken away. As an example, their military had 159 ships. One hundred and fifty-nine ships are under the sea."
Iran's Capabilities 'Gone'
Furthermore, Trump maintained that Iran had been stripped of the majority of its aircraft, air defence assets and industrial weapons infrastructure.
Trump remarked, "They had 200 airplanes; their airplanes are all gone. Their radars are gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, their weapon-making capability is largely gone, about 84 per cent and, you know, it's largely gone."
The US President went on to argue that the persistent military campaign had radically transformed Iran's offensive threshold.
"So, they are a much different country than they were four months ago," Trump observed, adding, "In four months, we've brought them back to the Stone Ages, to a large extent."
Unyielding Stance Against Tehran
While granting that Tehran still possesses minor military elements, the US President reiterated that these resources had been drastically scaled down.
Trump stated, "With that being said, they've got some missiles, and they've got a little capability, but they've been largely brought back into a different period of time."
He asserted his administration's unyielding position against Tehran's regional posture.
"Iran was the bully of the Middle East, and they weren't going to be bullying me," Trump said.
