'More fun to sink': Trump says 46 Iranian ships sunk
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the US military has hit 5,000 targets in Iran since the start of the conflict last week. He also said that Iran's missile capability is down to 10%. Speaking at a Republican Members Issues Conference in Florida on Monday, he said 46 "top-of-the-line" Iranian naval ships were sunk by the US military over three and a half days.
Military discussion
'It's more fun to sink them'
During the conference, Trump recounted a conversation with a US military official. "The Navy is gone. It's all lying at the bottom of the ocean. 46 ships, can you believe it? In fact, I got a little upset with our people. When I said, 'What quality of ship?'. They said, 'Excellent...'Top-of-the-line'. I said, 'Why didn't we just capture the ships?' We could use it. Why did we sink them?'" Trump said. The official replied, "It's more fun to sink them."
Escalation warning
Trump threatens to escalate conflict if Iran blocks oil shipments
Trump also threatened to escalate the conflict with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East. He warned that such an action would lead to a response "TWENTY TIMES HARDER" than what they have faced so far. He also promised to target easily destroyable targets in Iran, vowing that "Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them."
Retaliation vow
Iran vows not to allow any oil shipments
In response to Trump's threats, Iran vowed not to allow any oil shipments from the region if attacks by the United States and Israel continue. An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson said, "We are the ones who will determine the end of the war," adding that Iran would not allow "one liter of oil" to leave the region if attacks from the US and Israel continue.
Market fallout
War between Israel and Iran
The war began on February 28 with American and Israeli forces launching joint strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since fired missiles at Israel and Gulf neighbors hosting US military bases. The conflict has also spread to Asia, where the US sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing about 80 people.