Trump says Gulf nations must pay US for Hormuz security, claims Iran sent "back to the Stone Ages"
Washington, DC, July 14
President Donald Trump on Monday stated that Gulf nations ought to reimburse the United States for safeguarding maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while asserting that recent American military interventions have profoundly crippled Iran's military capabilities.
Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump expressed that Washington should receive financial compensation for securing one of the planet's most strategically vital maritime corridors.
Later, in an interview with Newsmax, the US President noted that American strikes had severely undermined Iran's military power, stating, "Their power has been largely taken away."
He asserted that a significant portion of Tehran's naval and air assets had been obliterated. Trump stated, "Now, they have something left, but it's been largely taken away. As an example, their military had 159 ships. One hundred and fifty-nine ships are under the sea."
Furthermore, Trump maintained that Iran had been stripped of the majority of its aircraft, air defence assets and industrial weapons infrastructure.
Trump remarked, "They had 200 airplanes; their airplanes are all gone. Their radars are gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, their weapon-making capability is largely gone, about 84 per cent and, you know, it's largely gone."
The US President went on to argue that the persistent military campaign had radically transformed Iran's offensive threshold.
"So, they are a much different country than they were four months ago," Trump observed, adding, "In four months, we've brought them back to the Stone Ages, to a large extent."
While granting that Tehran still possesses minor military elements, the US President reiterated that these resources had been drastically scaled down.
Trump stated, "With that being said, they've got some missiles, and they've got a little capability, but they've been largely brought back into a different period of time."
He asserted his administration's unyielding position against Tehran's regional posture.
"Iran was the bully of the Middle East, and they weren't going to be bullying me," Trump said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"Back to the Stone Ages" is such a dangerous and inflammatory phrase. Thousands of Iranian civilians have suffered enough from sanctions. The US should focus on diplomacy rather than boasting about destroying a nation's infrastructure. This kind of rhetoric only escalates tensions in a region already on fire. 😡
Interesting how Trump counts ships and planes like cricket scores. 159 ships under the sea? 200 airplanes gone? Numbers don't add up, yaar. This is clearly propaganda to make Iran look weak. India must maintain independent ties with Tehran and keep Chabahar port running despite US pressure. Balance is key.
As an American, I'm tired of our military being used as a global security service for rich oil states. If Gulf nations want protection, they can pay for it. Trump's aggressive approach might be blunt, but at least he's forcing a conversation about burden-sharing. The Strait of Hormuz isn't America's problem alone.
Trump calling Iran "bully of Middle East" is peak irony. 🤡 US has invaded Iraq, bombed Syria, and now claims to have destroyed Iran's military. Meanwhile, India has historically maintained good relations with all Gulf nations. We must be careful not to get caught between US-Iran rivalry. Our energy security depends on a stable Hormuz. 🚢🛡️
The level of exaggeration here is staggering. "84% of weapon-making capability gone" in just four months? Either the intel is unreliable or this is pure chest-thumping. Realistically, Iran still has proxies in Yemen, Syria, and
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