US has 'blown Iran off of the map', says Donald Trump

Donald Trump said the United States has “blown Iran off of the map” and claimed his objectives in the conflict had been achieved “weeks ahead of schedule."“Their leadership is gone, their navy and air force are dead, they have absolutely no defense, and they want to make a deal. I don’t!” the US President wrote on Truth Social. Making his statement on Truth Social, Trump went on to criticise coverage by David Sanger of The New York Times, calling the outlet “failing” and disputing suggestions that he had not met his stated goals. Trump also reiterated his criticism of the newspaper’s past election coverage, saying it “always gets it wrong.”This came as the media channel reported that despite Donald Trump claiming progress in the Iran war, several of his key objectives remain unfulfilled and his strategy has shifted over time.The report said Trump has scaled back earlier demands such as regime change and “unconditional surrender,” while signalling a possible wind-down of the conflict even as its broader economic and geopolitical consequences continue to mount.