Trump: Iran’s Military ‘Literally Obliterated’ — Officials ‘Want to Make a Deal’ as Leadership Remains Unclear

President Donald Trump declared Monday that Iran’s military has been “literally obliterated” by the U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury campaign, while revealing that Iranian officials have been reaching out seeking a deal even as he questioned whether those making contact actually have the authority to negotiate on behalf of a regime whose leadership he says has been largely wiped out.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, Trump said weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes have shattered the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.

“They have been literally obliterated,” Trump said. “The Air Force is gone. The Navy is gone. Many ships have been sunk. Their anti-aircraft is decimated, their radar is gone, and their leaders are gone.”

Trump said the campaign has struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran, crippling Tehran’s ability to project force across the region.

.@POTUS says that since Operation Epic Fury began:

— 7,000 targets struck
— 90% reduction in ballistic missile launches
— 95% reduction in drone attacks
— 100+ Iranian naval vessels sunk or destroyed pic.twitter.com/xyZtr4hPNg

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026

“We’ve achieved a 90 percent reduction in ballistic missile launches and a 95 percent reduction in drone attacks,” Trump said, adding that Iranian missiles are now “trickling in at very low levels because they don’t have too many missiles left.” (Read more from “Trump: Iran’s Military ‘Literally Obliterated’ — Officials ‘Want to Make a Deal’ as Leadership Remains Unclear” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr