Trump claims US sank ‘entire Iranian Navy’ in Fourth of July speech
US President Donald Trump claimed the United States had destroyed Iran’s military and sunk its entire navy during a Fourth of July speech, while praising the strength of the US armed forces.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said the US military had achieved major successes during his presidency.
“Our rise to being the world's strongest and most powerful nation was no accident of history. We rebuilt our military in my first term. We use it a little bit in our... Actually, I should say third term, but I won't do that because I don't want any controversy,” he said.
“But we use it, and we've had tremendous success. You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran. We wiped it out. Wiped out their military.”
Later in the speech, Trump compared a recent US operation against Iran to the US Navy’s victory over Spain at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.
“To its right, the banner that flew atop our flagship after America's Navy sank the Spanish fleet to the bottom of the Manila Bay, one of the greatest naval victories in history, much like our recent victory by sinking the entire Iranian Navy, 159 ships to the bottom of the sea, all done in just a moment's time. Happened very quickly,” he said.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran following recent military exchanges and ongoing disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
