White House Says U.S. Strikes Have Crippled 95% of Iran's Military Capacity
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said US strikes have crippled 95% of Iran’s military capabilities, including major losses to its navy, missiles, and drones, as Washington says operations will continue until all objectives are achieved.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The White House announced that US military operations against Iran have severely crippled the country’s military capabilities, stating that American strikes have pushed Iran’s land and naval power to the brink of collapse.
On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed new figures regarding US military strikes against Iran during a televised interview with Fox News.
During the interview, Leavitt said that the operations had achieved major military gains only two weeks into the conflict.
She stated:
“Yes, well thanks for the question, Laura, and it is an important one. And I can assure your audience and the American public that securing the homeland and protecting the American people is President Trump's utmost responsibility and priority, and it's something he's constantly monitoring and he's always on top of it, as well as his national security team.”
Leavitt added that intelligence agencies under the current administration have increased coordination between federal authorities and local law enforcement across the United States.
She said:
“And our intelligence agencies under this president have really increased the coordination and cooperation between the federal government and local law enforcement across the country. We see this level of cooperation not just at the southern border, but also with intelligence sharing.”
She also emphasized that the administration had established task forces across the country to strengthen cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Leavitt stated:
“The president has launched these task forces across the country again to ensure that the federal and local law enforcement agencies are working together.”
Addressing security threats inside the United States, she said the administration takes such risks seriously and works continuously to prevent attacks.
She said:
“Unfortunately, we have seen these lone-wolf attacks—crazy, sick, deranged, mentally ill people across our country who aspire to bring violence and do harm against their fellow Americans. These are threats that the administration takes seriously. They are thwarting 24/7 around the clock; often they don't make the news.”
Leavitt also addressed an attack targeting a synagogue in Michigan, which she described as a hate crime against the Jewish community.
She stated:
“Well, this was most certainly, as the FBI has declared, a targeted hate crime against the Jewish community. It's completely unacceptable. The president and the entire administration condemn this type of violence, this anti-Semitic hate towards Jewish Americans wholeheartedly.”
According to Leavitt, President Donald Trump was immediately briefed about the incident and closely monitored developments.
She said:
“He was immediately briefed as this news broke, and I was with him throughout much of the afternoon, where he was incessantly asking for updates from the Situation Room to be fully on top of the situation in Michigan.”
Turning to the military confrontation with Iran, Leavitt said the actions of the Iranian leadership demonstrate the extent of the damage inflicted by US operations.
She stated:
“We have totally annihilated the Iranian regime's navy. We've wiped out nearly almost all of their ballistic missile threat. In fact, ballistic missile attacks from Iran right now are down 90%. Their drone capabilities are down 95%. We have sunk more than 65 of their naval ships. We've hit more than 6,000 targets across the country, and it's a very big country.”
Leavitt added that US forces would continue their operations until the objectives outlined by President Trump and the Secretary of War are fully achieved.
She said:
“And we're going to continue this mission until all of the objectives that President Trump and the Secretary of War have laid out are fully accomplished and we are totally eradicating this threat of Iran building a nuclear bomb to threaten the world and to attack US troops and personnel in the region with their ballistic missile arsenal.”
She also criticized several media reports regarding the conflict, stating that some outlets published inaccurate claims.
Leavitt said:
“And it is abhorrent, some of the stories that are coming from the mainstream media. These reporters run anonymous sources as gospel truth without checking with the people who are actually in the room.”
She specifically referenced a report by CNN that alleged the administration was unprepared for a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Leavitt said:
“That is unequivocally false. Let me be clear: the Pentagon has been accounting for this in their planning of this operation since the very beginning.”
She added that the administration had contacted CNN and requested a correction to the report.
Leavitt also accused ABC News of publishing unverified information suggesting that Iran planned to launch drone attacks on the California coast.
She said:
“ABC News used unverified, non-credible tips from anonymous sources to scare people in California that Iran was allegedly plotting to attack the coast of California with drones.”
In addition, she addressed rising energy prices during the conflict, acknowledging concerns among Americans about the increase in gasoline prices.
Leavitt said the administration views the rise as temporary and linked it to tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
She stated:
“We understand your concerns, we hear you, and we are taking them into account and we have a plan to address them.”
She explained that the administration has implemented several measures to stabilize energy markets.
Leavitt said the government had provided political risk insurance for oil vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and indicated that the US Navy could escort ships if necessary.
She also confirmed that the United States has released oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Leavitt stated:
“And then, of course, as you mentioned, the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which this president takes very seriously and is doing responsibly.”
The White House insists that the US military campaign against Iran has already delivered decisive results, while officials say operations will continue until all objectives set by President Donald Trump are achieved.