Iran's military 'demolished', being hit 'very hard': Trump

Washington DC [US], July 14 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) emphasised that Iran's military has been "demolished," adding that Tehran is being hit "very hard."
Speaking to reporters, Trump noted that a deal had been reached recently, but was immediately broken by Tehran.
"I think it's going very fast. We've demolished their (Iran's) military, we're hitting them very hard, and we had a deal yesterday or the day before yesterday--it was all done. Then they broke up that deal immediately because they found out there was something in the deal they didn't like. They're wired differently, and we're not going to put up with it. We are just going forward. We're attacking them tonight, and we're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the Hormuz Strait," Trump said.
The US President further claimed that Washington would eventually establish full control over the situation, criticising the Iranian leadership's actions and pointing to severe casualties among demonstrators.
"In the end, we will end up controlling the whole thing. What they're doing is being very foolish, very stupid, and they've treated people horribly. They've killed 52,000 protesters so far that we can determine--it might be more than that, but 52,000 protesters have been killed. And it's a really terrible situation. We'll have it under control very quickly," he added.
Addressing reports regarding the suspected presence of Iranian drones in Cuba, Trump stated that the US is actively monitoring the situation and will block any operational deployment.
"If they do have that and they might very well have that, we'll take care of it... We're not going to have a problem. We're not going to allow that to happen. So it could be that they're storing some. We're looking into it now. It could be so, and it maybe isn't, but we'll figure it out first," said Trump.
The latest development follows renewed hostilities between the US and Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) closed the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered American retaliatory strikes on 140 locations across Tehran.
Meanwhile, initiating a fresh wave of military operations, US Central Command (CENTCOM) began its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief.
In a post on X, CENTCOM stated that these strikes aim to impose a high cost on Iranian forces and degrade their capability to target civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
"At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the post read.
Concurrently, the United States announced that it will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting Monday evening.
In a formal statement, CENTCOM said its forces will enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas, while continuing to support the safe flow of maritime traffic for ships that are not in violation of the order.
"At the Commander in Chief's direction, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on July 14 at 4 p.m. ET," the statement read.
According to CENTCOM, the decision follows the initial implementation of the blockade between April 13 and June 18. During that two-month period, US forces redirected more than 140 compliant vessels, disabled nine non-compliant ships, and permitted over 50 commercial vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass through.
CENTCOM advised all mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and establish contact with US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge Channel 16. The command added that further detailed guidance for commercial mariners will be issued through a formal notice.
Meanwhile, President Trump announced that he will deliver an address to the nation on Thursday, July 16.
"President Trump will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
Earlier on Sunday, President Trump stated that the United States is "reinstating" the Iranian blockade and announced that the US will charge a 20 percent fee to provide security in the strategic shipping gateway. In his social media posts, Trump assured that international maritime traffic through the critical shipping lane would remain open to the rest of the world despite escalating regional tensions.
Trump defended the 20 per cent levy on transiting cargo, claiming it is a necessary measure to cover the operational expenses of securing the volatile shipping lane.
"The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,' but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he added.
In response, Iran issued a stern warning against the US deployment, reaffirming its authority over the Strait of Hormuz and dismissing Washington's intervention in its management.
According to Press TV, Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, affirmed that Tehran will not, "under any circumstances, allow the US to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz."
He further vowed strong retaliation against any US military action involving the passage of commercial vessels and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz that takes place "outside Iran's designated shipping route and without authorisation from Iran's armed forces." (ANI)