US President Donald Trump asserted that the United States would swiftly win its war with Iran, stating Tehran's military had been severely weakened and claiming Washington had near-total control over the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
He made these remarks during a White House event on National Hispanic Heritage Month, addressing various foreign policy topics including Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela.
Trump noted that in the past six months, US forces suffered 18 casualties while Iran lost 4,500 personnel, adding, "one is too many" for American losses.
He said, "We have very soon -- you'll see things happening very soon," indicating an imminent development.
Trump described Iran as "virtually destroyed," highlighting its collapsing economy plagued by inflation over 300 percent, and claimed its navy, air force, and anti-aircraft capabilities were eliminated.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy shipping route, Trump said, "The last week in the Hormuz Strait, which we have almost total control -- I would say total, but every once in a while they'll drop a mine in there and disrupt things a little bit, but we have virtually total control of the Hormuz Strait."
He added that oil exports through the strait reached record levels in the past three days, surpassing any time in history, though he did not provide supporting data.
Trump implied the conflict with Iran might soon conclude decisively but did not specify upcoming US actions.
We have another one where we're six months in. And we have -- you know, their military is totally wiped out. And we're going to have that war won very quickly, one way or the other," he said ambiguously.
His discussion on Iran followed comparisons to ongoing US operations in Venezuela and the withdrawal of the last American troops from Iraq, which Trump described as ending a 23-year military engagement.
"We came to fight a caliphate; and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home indeed," Trump said, revealing US casualties exceeded 4,500 dead and over 31,000 wounded in Iraq.
He contrasted those figures with those from the Iran conflict to emphasize a different US military approach.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is critical for oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf countries to international markets, including Asia.
