President Donald Trump said he held a "very good" call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the Ukraine war and the escalating conflict in the Middle East as the United States continues military operations against Iran.
At a news conference in Florida, Trump confirmed the conversation, noting both sides discussed the Ukraine war before turning to the Middle East. He also touched on the personal tensions between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which he said were complicating efforts to end the conflict.
"There's tremendous hatred between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. They can't seem to get it together," Trump said, adding that the call was constructive. "But I think it was a positive call on that subject, and we obviously talked then about the Middle East."
Trump said Putin indicated a willingness to play a constructive role, though he added that ending the Russia-Ukraine war would be a more meaningful contribution from Moscow.
The remarks came as the United States and Israel continue large-scale military operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. Trump highlighted the scale of the campaign, claiming thousands of targets had been struck and major elements of Tehran's military degraded, including its naval power, missile systems, and drone capability.
"Everything they have is gone, including their leadership," he said, adding that US and Israeli forces had struck over 5,000 targets. Most of Iran's naval power had been destroyed, and its missile capability reduced to about 10 percent. Drone manufacturing has also been targeted.
Trump said some important targets have been left for later strikes, warning they would take years to rebuild if hit. He defined victory as eliminating Iran's ability to develop weapons that could threaten the United States, Israel, or their allies.
He also warned Iran against disrupting global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that it would remain secure with a strong US naval presence.
Earlier this month, the United States and Israel launched major strikes against Iranian targets to degrade Tehran's military and nuclear capabilities.
(With inputs from IANS)
