Doing very well: Trump Rates War Efforts Against Iran 15 Out of 10

His remarks come amid escalating tensions following the February 28 US and Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other key figures.

Speaking during a roundtable at the White House on Wednesday (local time), Trump said American forces had exceeded expectations in the opening days of the conflict. “We’re doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly. I would say — somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15,” he stated.

The President asserted that Washington was in a “very strong position” and that US operations had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities. “We have the greatest military in the world by far and that was a tremendous threat to us for many years,” he said, adding that Iran had posed a danger for decades.

Trump reiterated his criticism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated during the presidency of Barack Obama, calling it “one of the worst deals ever made.” He said terminating the agreement during his previous term prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

He argued that pre-emptive action was necessary, claiming that if the US had not acted first, Iran might have targeted Israel and potentially American assets. He also said Iran’s missiles and launchers were being “wiped out rapidly.”

Trump referenced the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and what he described as the “complete obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear potential by US B-2 bombers. “When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen,” he said.

Turning to Venezuela, Trump described relations with its government as “really great,” stating that the US was extracting significant volumes of oil in a way he said would benefit both countries and improve conditions for the Venezuelan people.

The President credited the rebuilding of the US military during his first term for enabling current operations, noting that it was being used “a little bit more” than he had anticipated.

The conflict has intensified since coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 targeted Iranian military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites and key infrastructure. Large explosions were reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, further escalating tensions in the Middle East.