“It's just a matter of time.” Trump threatens a new country as he claims Iran has run out of a navy and air force

Iran's navy and air force are “no more,” US President Donald Trump said Thursday at a White House event during which he threatened another country, Sky News, The Guardian and Reuters report.

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“Every hour we're destroying more and more Iranian missiles and drones — we're taking them out,” Trump said, speaking during an event with the Inter Miami soccer team at the White House.

The US president also stated, without providing evidence: “So (Iran) has no air force, no air defense. All their planes are gone, their communications are gone. Other than that, they're doing pretty well.”

“Their navy is gone, (they lost) 24 ships in three days, which is a lot of ships,” Trump added.

He also claimed that 60 percent of Iran's missiles and 64 percent of Iran's missile launchers “are gone.”

US military is 'way ahead of schedule' in Iran, Trump claims

Reiterating comments made earlier this week, Trump added that the US military and Israel were “completely destroying” Iranian targets, “well ahead of schedule” in the war.

“The United States military, along with its wonderful Israeli partners, continues to utterly destroy the enemy, far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before,” the US president said, also quoted by CNN.

These statements from the leader of the White House came in the context in which the head of the Israeli army announced that his country is moving to the “next phase” of the war with Iran.

Promises to stop the rise in oil prices

Amid rising crude oil prices following US and Israeli attacks on Israel, the US president promised on Thursday that action would be taken quickly to avoid Americans paying higher gas prices because of the war in the Middle East.

“New measures to reduce pressure on oil are imminent,” Trump said, calling the rise in fuel prices a “little detour.”

Crude oil prices have risen sharply since the start of the conflict, reaching levels not seen in nearly two years on Thursday.

In the United States, pump prices reacted quickly. A gallon (3.78 liters) now costs an average of $3.25, up from $2.98 a week ago, according to the official AAA monitoring site. This represents an increase of almost 9%.

The subject is extremely sensitive in the country where the car is queen, in the context in which Donald Trump had recently given assurances that he can find gasoline for less than two dollars a gallon, AFP and Agerpres note.

On Tuesday, already to calm spirits, the president had announced that the US Navy could escort oil tankers “if necessary” through the Gulf.

The American leader also said that the United States is ready to provide, “at a very reasonable price,” insurance for ships plying in the region, given that companies are now refusing to cover the Gulf against the risk of war.

“A Matter of Time”

And then, also at Thursday's event at the White House, Trump shifted his focus to the communist regime in Cuba.

He stated that he wanted to end the war in Iran first, but then “it will only be a matter of time before you and many incredible people turn your (attention) to Cuba.”

Cuba wants “so much to conclude an agreement”, the American leader also claimed.

“We want to end this conflict first, but Cuba is just a matter of time,” Trump added, referring to the Iran war.

Announcement by the Chief of the Israeli Army

Israel is moving to the “next phase” of the war with Iran, the head of the Israeli army announced Thursday evening, after specifying that 2,500 attacks were carried out with more than 6,000 weapons, notes CNN.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir said the war was a “historic campaign” that began with a “surprise attack phase” in which 80 percent of Iran's air defense systems and 60 percent of its ballistic missile launchers were destroyed.

“We are now moving to the next phase of the operation,” Zamir announced in a video recording.

“In this phase, we will continue to dismantle the (Tehran) regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprises ahead of us that I do not intend to reveal,” the Israeli general added.

Zamir said he ordered the IDF to advance deeper into Lebanon. Over the past two days, the IDF has issued evacuation warnings for all of southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, the southern suburbs of Beirut and parts of the Bekaa Valley.

“I have ordered IDF forces to advance and deepen the line of control along the border, while establishing positions at key points in southern Lebanon,” Zamir said.

He promised that Israel “will not give up on the goal of disarming Hezbollah.”