As the war between the United States and Iran approaches the three-week mark, President Donald Trump and Iran’s new supreme leader are projecting strength.
Speaking at an event at the White House on Friday, Trump suggested the United States is doing “extremely well” in the conflict.
“They had a Navy two weeks ago. They have no Navy anymore. It’s all at the bottom of the sea,” he said in front of the U.S. Navy football team.
He added that the United States will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, one of the reasons he has cited for launching the operation with Israel on Feb. 28.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a statement Friday commemorating the Persian New Year. Khamenei did not read the statement himself and has not been seen publicly since his father was killed and he assumed the leadership role. Instead, it was read aloud on state media.
In the statement, Khamenei commended Iranians for their resilience since the war began, claiming Iran’s military has delivered a “dizzying blow to its enemies.”
The supreme leader also cautioned Iran’s media organizations to refrain from focusing on weakness, saying the enemy could otherwise achieve its goals. The comments were somewhat similar to remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, when he criticized U.S. news organizations for asking tough questions about the conflict.
While both leaders are trying to rally support, questions remain about how the conflict will end and whether it could involve U.S. troops on the ground.
The Associated Press reported that the United States is deploying about 2,500 additional Marines, along with three more warships, to the Middle East. The U.S. and the United Kingdom also entered into an agreement allowing the United States to use U.K. bases to “degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Thirteen U.S. troops have been killed in the conflict. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command told Scripps News on Friday that 232 troops have been wounded, including 10 seriously, and 207 have returned to duty.
