WASHINGTON D.C. May 4, 2026 – The U.S. Department of State on Monday released a statement from President Donald Trump claiming that America and Israel have effectively dismantled Iran’s conventional military forces in the two-month-old conflict, while reiterating Washington’s ironclad commitment to blocking Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Iran has no navy, air force, anti-aircraft equipment, or leaders,” President Trump said in the statement posted by the State Department. “We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon or you’re going to have problems like nobody would believe.”
The remarks come 65 days after the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, 2026, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military bases, naval assets, missile production facilities, and air-defense systems. U.S. officials have since claimed the destruction of dozens of Iranian warships — reportedly over 90 percent of the regular naval fleet — the near-total elimination of its operational air force, and severe degradation of its surface-to-air missile networks and leadership command structure.
A fragile ceasefire took hold in early April, yet the situation remains volatile. Iranian forces continue sporadic asymmetric attacks using drones and missiles, particularly targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoint. Peace negotiations brokered by regional mediators have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement.
The Trump administration has responded by launching “Project Freedom,” a naval escort operation to safeguard international shipping through the strait. Senior officials say the mission will continue until Tehran demonstrates verifiable de-escalation and agrees to permanent limits on its nuclear program.
The State Department’s post underscores that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a non-negotiable U.S. objective, warning that any nuclear breakout would trigger “consequences like nobody would believe.”
As of Monday evening, Iranian state media had not issued an immediate response to Trump’s latest assessment.
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