Trump Says US Strikes Have Weakened Iran’s Military, Strengthened Gulf Alliances

Washington, March 2026 : US President Donald Trump has claimed that recent American military operations have significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities, particularly its missile and drone infrastructure, while also bringing Gulf nations closer to Washington amid rising tensions in West Asia.

In an interview with Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade, Trump said the US campaign had inflicted major damage on Iran’s weapons systems and military manufacturing facilities. According to him, American forces had targeted key locations involved in the production of missiles and drones, substantially reducing Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks.

“We are decimating them,” Trump said during the interview. He claimed that US operations had destroyed a large portion of Iran’s missile stockpiles and disrupted drone production facilities. The President added that the strikes had hit manufacturing sites where missiles and drones were built, limiting Tehran’s military capabilities.

Trump described the scale of the campaign as unprecedented in recent history. “We’re hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War II,” he said, suggesting the operations had progressed faster and more effectively than initially expected.

The President also argued that the ongoing confrontation had strengthened Washington’s ties with Gulf allies. According to him, several governments in the region have become more united with the United States following attacks during the crisis.

“We’re very, very solid. The relationship, the unity, is tremendous,” Trump said, adding that he had spoken with leaders of several Gulf states earlier in the day. He noted that some countries in the region initially tried to remain neutral but were drawn into the conflict after experiencing attacks that were allegedly linked to Iran.

“They got hit, and nobody expected it,” Trump said. “They were staying away and more or less neutral, but the situation changed after the attacks.”

Trump also claimed that Iran’s broader strategic ambition was to expand its influence across the Middle East and dominate the region. He said the US military campaign was designed to prevent Tehran from achieving that goal.

“What Iran wanted to do is take over the whole Middle East,” Trump said, adding that American intervention had stopped that possibility. He specifically referenced the role of US stealth bombers, including the B-2 Spirit, saying their deployment had played a critical role in the strikes.

According to Trump, the Iranian military has suffered severe setbacks during the fighting. He claimed that large parts of Iran’s naval and air power had been neutralised and that several levels of military leadership had been weakened.

“Their Navy has totally gone. Their Air Force is gone. Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone,” he said, adding that even the remaining leadership structures were now under pressure.

Trump further claimed that Iran’s missile attacks had sharply declined as a result of the US operations. He said that nearly 90 percent of Iran’s missile capabilities had been destroyed, which had reduced incoming attacks to only occasional incidents.

Asked about security concerns surrounding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes, Trump said the United States was prepared to escort oil tankers if the situation demanded it.

“Well, we would do it if we needed to,” he said, indicating that the US Navy could step in to safeguard commercial shipping if the security situation deteriorated.

The President clarified that the current focus of US operations remains the destruction of Iran’s missile and drone infrastructure rather than efforts to secure or seize Iran’s uranium reserves.

“No, we’re not focused on that,” Trump said when asked whether the United States intended to take control of Iranian uranium stockpiles. “Right now, we’re focused on knocking out their missiles and their drones.”

Trump also suggested that Iran’s weakened position could influence regional diplomacy. He hinted that the situation might encourage more countries in the Middle East to consider joining the Abraham Accords, which aim to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab nations.

The ongoing tensions have raised concerns across the Gulf region, which hosts millions of expatriate workers, including a large Indian population in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Stability in the region remains crucial for Asian economies that rely heavily on energy imports from the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to global shipping routes, carries a significant portion of the world’s oil exports. Any disruption in traffic through the narrow waterway has historically caused volatility in global energy markets and heightened security concerns worldwide.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)