"We blew up Iran's radar": Trump says US carried out strikes on Iran for 3 consecutive days
Washington DC, July 3
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the American forces carried out strikes on Iran across three consecutive nights in response to attacks on commercial shipping, claiming that the US repeatedly destroyed Iranian radar systems and escorted commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to prevent disruptions to global energy supplies.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen, Trump said, "We blew up Iran's radar; they had no radar, they still don't. We blew it up again the other night. They had a nice new radar; they were all set to go, and we blew it up last week. They have to start all over again for a third time."
Asked whether the US was prepared for further action, Trump replied, "We have all the assets."
Trump also described the US naval blockade as "a wall of steel."
"I did a blockade that was essentially not a blockade; it was a wall of steel. We have the great Navy, the greatest navy in the world. These guys are unbelievable. Not one ship got through to Iran," he said.
He claimed Iran's economy had been severely weakened. "They have 300 per cent inflation, they're making no money," Trump said.
Trump added that the US hoped to eventually export food commodities to Iran. He said, "They need food. They need corn, wheat, and soybeans, and we're going to have exclusively our American farmers provide that. Assuming we get to the position where we should get to."
Rejecting media reports that Iran was in a stronger position despite the conflict, Trump said, "The New York Times said the other day that Iran is in a better position now than it was four months ago."
He added, "I said, wait a minute, their military is gone. Their inflation is up to 300 per cent from 5 per cent. Their leaders are gone. Their second row of leaders is gone. Some of their third row of leaders are gone. Their generals are mostly wiped out."
Trump said his administration avoided closing the Strait of Hormuz because of the impact it would have on global oil markets.
He said, "If I want to be the tough guy and close up the Strait for the next few years, where 20 per cent or 21 per cent of the oil never comes out, and you can't get oil anymore, oil will be USD 350 a barrel, and there'll be a depression."
Instead, he said the US Navy quietly escorted tankers through the southern approach to the strait. He said, "Every night, we were taking ships out through the South, which is the furthest point from where they have their little weapons, and they were going along the coast with no lights for a month and a half."
He added, "We had one night where we took 22 ships out. That's a lot of oil."
"Our Navy took them out. We escorted them out, and nobody knew. The lights were off, everything was off, everything was silent," he claimed further.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how Trump says he's "saving global oil markets" but then talks about providing food to Iran exclusively from US farmers. This is economic warfare, plain and simple. As an Indian, I worry about our dependence on Middle Eastern oil - this whole situation could push prices up for us.
Trump is a brilliant negotiator, no doubt. He's turning the screws on Iran without starting a full-scale war. The "wall of steel" blockade is genius - it hurts Iran's economy but doesn't disrupt global oil too much. India should take notes on how to handle our neighbours 😉.
"We blew up Iran's radar... they had no radar, they still don't" - this is just Trump's typical exaggeration. I've read reports from other sources that Iran's air defence is still functioning and they've actually shot down some US drones recently. The US media is eating up this narrative. India needs to be careful.
Trump saying Iran's leaders are "mostly wiped out" is a bit much. I think he's hyping up the situation to look strong for his base. But the part about escorting tankers at night with no lights - that's actually quite impressive from a Naval perspective. India also does such operations in the Indian Ocean. Respect to both navies.
As someone who follows geopolitics, I find Trump's statements contradictory. He says Iran's economy is destroyed with 300% inflation, but then says they just bought a new radar system (which he then bombed).
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.