Trump: US removed 22 tankers from Hormuz ‘in complete radio silence’
The US president said the tankers were moved under heavy military protection and “complete radio silence” in a single night as part of a month-and-a-half military operation, claiming the operation helped prevent global oil prices from surging.
"If we hadn't done it, a barrel of oil would have gone to $350," Trump told CNBC, adding that he did not want his presidency associated with triggering a global economic downturn, as the late US president Herbert Hoover did.
Trump also claimed the US military had achieved a "complete military victory" over Iran in the past four months, saying Tehran had been "completely defeated militarily" and that any remaining Iranian missile capabilities "can be destroyed".
He said US forces carried out powerful strikes against Iran for three consecutive nights over the past two weeks in retaliation for a drone attack on a ship, without providing further details.
Trump claimed that American forces destroyed a new Iranian radar system last week, leaving Iran "without any radar network". He dismissed reports suggesting Tehran had restored or strengthened its military capabilities, insisting that "Iran's military power is finished".