Donald Trump has said that Iran’s military was largely untouched by U.S. strikes over the past three months, contradicting his previous claims of having obliterated the country’s armed forces. In an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump on Fox News, the president stated: “Their military, we’ve sort of left it alone, because we think that their military is somewhat, somewhat moderate ... We’ve actually left their military alone. People would be surprised to hear that.”
However, moments later in the same interview, Trump appeared to contradict himself, saying: “Iran is in a very bad position. They have no military, all they have is good talk and a fake press.” The conflicting statements have drawn criticism, with some experts and supporters suggesting a verbal slip-up, though the president’s words made no mention of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The war, which Trump and his team initially claimed would be over in “days” or weeks, has now passed the three-month mark with the U.S. unable to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. A shaky ceasefire is in place, and Trump is considering an offer to extend it for another 60 days. Negotiations continue, but the sides remain far apart on Iran’s nuclear programme and enrichment capabilities.
Trump defended leaving Iran’s military intact, arguing that wiping out the entire armed forces could lead to chaos, as seen in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. “Mistakes have been made in wars where you wipe out everybody and then you have a country that, for 40 years, you can never rebuild,” he said, pointing to Iraq specifically.
The delay in finalising a ceasefire extension has been attributed to Trump’s hesitance to anger neoconservative Iran hawks, who oppose sanctions relief or releasing frozen Iranian funds. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that parts of the deal are still being adjusted. Meanwhile, U.S. gas prices have ticked downwards due to optimism around the talks, after a sharp increase at the war’s onset.
