Trump says Iran’s military capabilities being ‘systematically destroyed’

2026-03-16 - 05:46

US President Donald Trump said early Monday that Iran is facing continuous attrition and the systematic destruction of its military capabilities as the American military campaign progresses. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that information circulated by Iran in the media is largely misleading and relies on artificial intelligence technologies. “Iran is an ineffective and weak military force,” Trump wrote, adding that the only battles it appears to win are those it “carefully fabricates and promotes through artificial intelligence to the media.” The US president also dismissed images circulated by Iranian outlets showing the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on fire, describing them as “completely fabricated.” He stressed that the carrier had never been targeted. Trump further stated that Iran is aware of the serious consequences if it were to carry out such an attack, denying claims about the deployment of so-called “suicide boats,” which he described as false information intended to exaggerate the strength of Iran’s military forces. He also addressed reports alleging that five American refueling aircraft had been shot down or severely damaged, asserting that all the aircraft remain operational except for one that is expected to return to service soon. Trump concluded by rejecting videos circulating online that show buildings and ships appearing to burn, describing them as “fake news generated by artificial intelligence.”