Posted on 07/20/2026 11:09:20 PM PDT by Mount Athos
The world is far safer after President Donald J. Trump’s highly successful, decisive precision strikes against the Iranian regime’s key nuclear facilities.
Take it from those who actually know:
President Trump: “Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”
Israel Atomic Energy Commission: “The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir: “I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.”
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei: “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”
Vice President JD Vance: “I can say to the American people with great confidence that they are much further away from a nuclear program today than they were 24 hours ago. That was the objective of the mission, to destroy that Fordow nuclear site, and of course, do some damage to the other sites as well, but we feel very confident that the Fordow nuclear site was substantially set back, and that was our goal.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”
Secretary Hegseth: “Given the 30,000 pounds of explosions and the capability of those munitions, it was DEVASTATION underneath Fordow … Any assessment that tells you otherwise is speculating with other motives.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Razin” Caine: “Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. More than 125 US aircraft participated in this mission, including B2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The Iranian program — the nuclear program — today looks nothing like it did just a week ago … That story is a false story and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported because it doesn’t accurately reflect what’s happening.”
Secretary Rubio: “Everything underneath that mountain is in bad shape … There’s no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing had happened. This was complete and total obliteration. They are in bad shape. They are way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago because of what President Trump did.”
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff: “We put 12 bunker buster bombs on Fordow. There’s no doubt that it breached the canopy, there’s no doubt that it was well within reach of the depth that these bunker buster bombs go to, and there’s no doubt that it was obliterated — so the reporting out there that in some way suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: “The operation was a resounding success. Our missiles were delivered precisely and accurately, obliterating key Iranian capabilities needed to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.”
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi: “Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred. At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit. At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions.”
Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright: “Overall, Israel’s and U.S. attacks have effectively destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program. It will be a long time before Iran comes anywhere near the capability it had before the attack.”
Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director Andrea Stricker: “I think that because of the massive damage and the shock wave that would have been sent by 12 Massive Ordnance Penetrators at the Fordow site, that it likely would render its centrifuges damaged or inoperable.”
American Enterprise Institute Middle East Portfolio Manager Brian Carter: “There is no question that the bombing campaign ‘badly, badly damaged’ the three sites.”
Institute for Science and International Security Senior Research Fellow Spencer Faragasso: “Overall, it may possibly take years for Iran to reconstitute the capabilities it lost at these facilities.”
Fine, send a missile thru one pipe on Kharg Island, just enough to stop transport - then after they replace it do it again.
On what grounds will you determine whether Trump failed?
Try reading the article.
It refers to facilities, all nuclear sites, Fordo, nuclear installations, each target, all three sites, the Esfahan nuclear site, the Natanz enrichment site, the three sites, etc.
If Iran builds a nuke.
That’s pretty self evident.
Once they have one, like North Korea, expect an underground test signaling to the world that they have their “regime life insurance policy.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_North_Korean_nuclear_test
You think Iran is a bad actor now, wait until they have a nuke.
North Korea is really just interested in regime continuity. You have some fat nasty jerk screwing whoever he wants (his dad essentially lived in a brothel), living in opulent luxury, while their people starve and exist just to serve them.
That is not the case with Iran. They are expansionist and ideologically driven. They are on a religious crusade ever since 1979: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khomeinism (His legacy lives on today, for times sake, start reading where it discusses human rights which is really just his greater socioeconomic views based on his interpretation of Islam).
Iran has been KILLING Americans for the past 47 years. What is hard to understand about that? They were doing everything in their power to fight against us in Iraq, supplying night vision goggles, GPS receivers (makes mortars more accurate), high power sniper rifles to defeat our original SAPI plates (why we fielded newer ones right away), IR barriers (used for the precise initiation IEDs and making them more lethal), intel (their Quds forces were there advising Shia militias), money, and providing safe haven (a place to escape and hide out: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17126077)...
And all of the sudden, we forget 47 years and Iran isn’t so bad anymore... Why do you think that is?
If satan himself appeared in a cloud of sulfur with horns, hooves and a tail, and Trump launched a missile strike on him, our MSM would question the legitimacy of this, and of course our Euro allies would give us lots of advice but do nothing while standing behind us.
“You think they are going to halt their drive toward a nuclear weapon?”
Obviously not. February 28 made Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons a certainty.
We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.
“ We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.”
Ok, admiral, let’s hear a (realistic) plan. Please look at a map before responding.
No, they have been buried. Mines address that issue.
If they can recover the 60% enriched material they can trade it to NKorea and get a bomb. Iran must be destroyed. Persia must be restored.
We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.
Just exactly how many times do we have to secue the Strait???
Here's a chronological compilation of every notable instance where Donald Trump or the White House has claimed or asserted US control over the Strait of Hormuz. These statements cluster around the 2026 US-Iran conflict that began on February 28, 2026.
March 23, 2026 — "Jointly controlled" with the ayatollah
Trump told reporters the waterway would be "jointly controlled. Maybe [by] me... Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is".middleeasteye
March 30, 2026 — White House: strait will reopen "one way or another"
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera the strait would reopen either through Iranian compliance or "a coalition, including the United States, will ensure its accessibility".aljazeera
April 2, 2026 — (Counter-statement) "Other countries should take the lead"
In a national address, Trump said other nations "must manage that passage" and that the US would step back — a notable flip away from a control claim.finance.yahoo
April 12, 2026 — US will blockade the strait
Trump announced on Truth Social the US Navy would "commence the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships" entering or leaving the strait, vowing to stop Iran from controlling it (CNBC, Al Jazeera).cnbc+1
April 22–23, 2026 — "Total control"
The White House formally announced the blockade, and Trump asserted: "We have total control over the Strait [of] Hormuz. No ship enter[s] or [leaves] without the approval of the United States Navy. It is sealed tight".theguardian
May 3–5, 2026 — US will "guide ships"
Trump announced the US would begin directing vessels through the strait as a "humanitarian initiative," then briefly paused escort operations citing deal progress (Washington Post, Reuters).washingtonpost+1
May 5, 2026 — "We have total control"
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said: "We have total control. As you know, the blockade has been amazing".youtube
May 15, 2026 — "We control the Strait"
Aboard Air Force One after his summit with Xi, Trump said: "We control the Strait [of Hormuz]... We wiped out their armed forces, essentially".wdef
May 27, 2026 — "Nobody's going to control it... we'll watch over it"
At the White House, Trump took a more nuanced line: "Nobody's going to control it. It's international waters... We're going to watch over it" (YouTube, The Guardian).youtube
June 10, 2026 — "UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLLING the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran"
On Truth Social, Trump claimed the US covertly moved over 100 million barrels of oil through the strait, writing the success was "due to the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLLING the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran".cnbc
June 24, 2026 — White House: Iran's ability to close the strait is "stripped away"
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated US naval protection had eliminated Iran's capacity to shut the strait: "We are stripping that power away from them".cnbc
July 11, 2026 — White House demands Iran declare the strait open
The White House demanded Iran publicly state the strait is open and safe for ships.youtube
July 12, 2026 — "Iran does not control the strait"
After US strikes on 140 Iranian targets, Trump told NBC's Meet the Press the strait was open, and CENTCOM declared: "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic is flowing" (New York Post, BBC).bbc+1
July 13, 2026 — "We control it" / "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait"
The biggest cluster of control claims:
On Fox & Friends: "We are taking over the strait... We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait" and "we'll probably run it" (TIME, UPI).upi+1
On Truth Social: "The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,'" with a 20% cargo toll (Al Jazeera, BBC).bbc+1
On Newsmax: "They can make trouble... but we control it".cbsnews
At the White House: "We're controlling the Strait" (BBC, Türkiye Today).bbc+1
July 14, 2026 — "We will end up just controlling the whole thing"
Trump said the US was "putting the blockade back" and that "in the end we will end up just controlling the whole thing".youtube
July 16, 2026 — Rhetoric continues
BBC reported Trump was keeping up the "we control it" rhetoric, though he had dropped the 20% toll idea in favor of trade deals with Gulf states.youtube
The clearest, unambiguous "we control it" statements came on April 23, May 5, May 15, June 10, and July 13–14, 2026, with White House officials (Rubio, Wright) reinforcing the message on March 30 and June 24. Trump's stance has oscillated — at times (April 2, May 27) he backed away from a US control claim, only to return to it as the conflict flared. Iran has consistently rejected every US assertion of control, insisting the strait is its territory.
Prior to February 28, 2026 the Strait of Hormuz was open under very favorable conditions and the Islamic Republic of Iran did not have nuclear weapons.
The result of this misadventure is that the Strait will never return to the status quo ante, and Iran will create or obtain nuclear weapons.
I’m not an admiral and I doubt that you are either, but ...
I would pick 2 lines of longitude that straddle the Strait of Hormuz. Real admirals can pick the lines. I’d declare that to be a “no-go” zone within x miles of Iran. I’d give the fishermen a few days to move their boats beyond the boundaries. Then I’d use C-130 gunships, Apache helicopters, and A-10 attack planes to destroy any and all boats plus any and all observation and control facilities within the no-go zone, even on shore.
Iran’s ability to attack anything have been greatly deteriorated, but it is not zero, so we need to continue what we’re already doing: Search and destroy missiles, missile launchers, and drones that can reach the straight from a greater distance. (It will only reach zero if the Iranians rise up and throw out the Ayatollahs.)
OK, admiral, what’s your plan? Surrender now and let Iran charge a 20% toll to traverse the Strait?
As many as it takes.
So Trump can keep claiming over and over that HE has control of the Strait? As often as he likes?
Isn’t that called lying?
I wonder when Netanyahu will next declare they are 2 weeks away from a nuclear device ?
when are we going to force Israel to come clean about their program and start bombing if they dont ?
Our goal is for the Strait of Hormuz to be OPEN.
Your proposal is that we help Iran CLOSE it. Seems counterproductive. Iran doesn’t need the Strait to be open - we do.
Perhaps you can explain how destroying Iranian gunboats, shore facilities, missiles, missile launchers, and drones HELPS Iran close the straight?
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