US President Donald Trump, on Saturday claimed that the US had knocked out 42 of Iran's Navy ships, their Air Force and all communications amid the ongoing Israel-Iran-US conflict. He further claimed “they are bad,” and that the strikes "had to be done."
The POTUS made the remarks while speaking at the Shield of Americas Summit on Saturday.
On Saturday, Israel's military said it had struck 16 Iranian aircraft at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, which it said was a key hub for Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
"Overnight, the Israeli Air Force... completed a broad wave of strikes across Tehran and on military infrastructure located at the 'Merabad Airport' in Tehran", reported AFP, citing the Israel military's statement.
The latest developments come amid the ongoing Israel-Iran-US conflict which entered its eighth day on Saturday.
Israel-Iran-US conflict
Iran launched retaliatory strikes after the US and Israel jointly attacked the Islamic Republic on Saturday 28, February. Blasts were reported across Abu Dhabi, Doha, Qatar among other key Middle Eastern hubs – which are also home to US military bases.
Dubai airports were shut, with majority of flights to and from Middle Eastern cities cancelled – leaving thousands of travellers across the globe stranded.
On Saturday, fresh military activity was reported in UAE, Saudi Arabia.
UAE intercepts 15 missiles, 119 drones
UAE said it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones as Iran kept up its attacks, while Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted four drones targeting the country’s massive Shaybah oil field, marking the second attempted attack within hours, reported AP.
Hours after the interception, an Emirati official said that the United Arab Emirates wanted the Iranian aggression against Gulf states, to end immediately.
"Any sort of escalation is worrying. We want to contain the war. We don’t want the war to expand. We want to start with the Iranians realizing that they are not helping themselves by attacking their whole neighbourhood and to stop there and realize that," the official said, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, Trump, earlier in the day, warned that Iran ‘will be hit very hard, today' and vowed “complete destruction, death” .“Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behaviour,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
