The military and economic capabilities of Iran have been left in ruins after a six month combat campaign, US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Trump described the operation as a "total military victory," stating that the US now maintains "almost total control" of the Strait of Hormuz, though he noted the occasional deployment of sea mines by Iran. In terms of casualties, Trump said the US lost 18 personnel while Iran lost 4,500, leaving the adversarial state "virtually destroyed" in its navy, air force, and air defenses.

The announcement follows a series of conflicting claims over the critical waterway. US Central Command previously rejected assertions from the IRGC and Admiral Siari that Tehran controlled the strait, noting that over 1 billion barrels of oil had transited freely and that American forces had sunk the Iranian navy. Prior to these US claims, Iran's army chief warned that if Tehran could not trade, no one else would, while the Persian Gulf Waterways Management Authority began restricting vessels linked to non compliant charterers.