Trump Claims US Military Has 'Decimated' Iran's 'Evil Empire'

President says US operations will 'continue for a little while' as conflict marks one week.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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US President Donald Trump claimed the United States has wiped out Iran's entire military leadership and capabilities, including its navy, air force, and missile manufacturing. Trump denied allegations that the US was responsible for bombing an Iranian elementary school, instead blaming Iran's inaccurate weapons. The president said the US has 'decimated their whole evil empire' and that the military operations will 'continue for a little while' as the conflict marks one week.

Why it matters

The escalating conflict between the US and Iran has raised concerns about the potential for further military escalation and civilian casualties in the region. Trump's claims about the extent of damage to Iran's military capabilities could signal an intention to continue or even expand the operations, with potential implications for the broader geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.

The details

Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, claiming the US had 'wiped out' Iran's navy, air force, and most of its missiles and drone capacity. He said the US had also hit Iran's manufacturing areas for missiles 'very hard.' The president denied allegations that the US was responsible for bombing an Iranian elementary school, instead blaming Iran's 'very inaccurate' weapons. When asked about a potential deal with Iran, a US special envoy said Iran did not seem 'very amenable' to negotiations in the initial set of talks.

  • The conflict marks one week since the joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 that killed Iran's Supreme Leader and other senior figures.
  • Trump made the remarks on Saturday, March 8 (US local time).

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States.

Steve Witkoff

A US Special Envoy who was present on Air Force One with Trump.

Tom Tugendhat

A Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom who expressed concerns about the situation in the Middle East.

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What they’re saying

“We're winning the war by a lot. We've decimated their whole evil empire. It'll continue I'm sure for a little while...The war itself is going unbelievably. It's as good as it can be.”

— Donald Trump (statenews.net)

“I think there is. I think that's going to be up to the President, that's what I think. But they didn't seem to be very amenable in that first set of negotiations. You heard what I said. They said we have the inalienable right to enrich. They bragged about having 60 percent enriched fuel enough for 11 bombs. And they told me and Jared, we're not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn't take militarily.”

— Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy (statenews.net)

“A lot of people are very concerned at what's going on, and not just about what's going on in Iran, but what's happening in the United Arab Emirates, in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. India has about nine million citizens in the region; we have about 300,000 citizens there, so there's a huge concern.”

— Tom Tugendhat, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom (ANI)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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