Trump frames Iran war as victory, says US objectives near completion

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the United States has delivered "swift, decisive, overwhelming victories" in its war with Iran, declaring that "America is winning." 

In an address to the nation, Trump cited the alleged destruction of Iran's navy and air force as well as leadership decapitation operations as key successes. He said the US is on track to complete its military objectives "very shortly." 

Trump's comments came even as Iran vowed to push ahead with retaliatory measures. Earlier on Wednesday, the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released excerpts of his first remarks on social media, reaffirming the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a legitimate countermeasure and saying Tehran was examining "other potential fronts."

Iran's Foreign Ministry has said the the supreme leader remains in good health but has postponed public appearances due to the fighting.

The remarks followed a US-Israeli strike that seriously wounded Kamal Kharazi, Iran's former foreign minister and current diplomatic adviser. His wife was killed in the attack.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said more than 115,000 civilian facilities have been damaged in the conflict as of Wednesday, while the Ministry of Education reported damage to more than 700 educational facilities.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an open letter to the American public on Wednesday that Iran holds no hostility toward ordinary US citizens and urged them to reject what he called war propaganda.

In his Wednesday address, Trump also threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," vowing to "bring them back to the Stone Ages."  

He said ceasefire talks were ongoing. If no deal is reached, "we will hit each and every one of their electric generating plants," he warned.

US officials have said Washington and Tehran are discussing a possible ceasefire agreement conditional on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has insisted any truce must include guarantees against further attacks and sanctions relief, while Washington has stressed that secure passage through the waterway, which carries about one-fifth of global oil, is essential for energy market stability.

Separately, the US military has reportedly submitted a plan to Trump aimed at seizing more than 460 kg of Iran's highly enriched uranium. The proposal involves airlifting equipment to the sites and building a temporary runway to fly the material out. The US and Israel view the stockpile as a major proliferation risk, while Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful.

In the latest exchanges, Israel said it struck around 400 targets inside Iran over two days, while Israel itself came under its largest missile barrage in three weeks on Tuesday.