US President Donald Trump claimed that it was "treasonous" to suggest that the United States was not winning the war in Iran, as he criticised political opponents for questioning the effectiveness of the military campaign.
"We get the radical left to say, 'We're not winning, we're not winning.' They don't have any military left. It's unbelievable. It's actually... I believe it's treasonous, okay. You want to know the truth, it's treasonous," Trump said during an event in Florida on Friday.
Trump also referred to the January US military action in Venezuela, which he described as “one of the greatest military movements in history”, while drawing comparisons to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
"We're doing just about as well in Iran," he said. "But I don't like talking about it until the jobs are finished."
He said the military action against Iran’s nuclear programme was aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and protecting the Gulf region, including Israel. "We cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon", he said.
"Because we have to take a little journey down to a beautiful country known as Iran, and we have to make sure that they don't have a nuclear weapon. We stopped them with the B2 bombers. If we didn't do that, they would've had a nuclear weapon. Israel, the Middle East, and Europe would have been blown to pieces," he said.
Trump further repeated his claim that Iran’s military capabilities had been significantly degraded and its leadership weakened.
"Iran is getting decimated. They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. They have no radar. They have no leaders; their leaders are all gone," he said.
He said negotiations with Iran were not progressing as expected. "They're not coming through with the kind of deal that we have to have, and we're going to get this thing done properly," Trump said.
He added that the United States would not end the conflict prematurely. "We're not going to leave early and have this kind of problem arise in three more years," Trump said.
Trump says 'not satisfied' with Iran's latest proposal
Earlier, speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for Florida, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s latest proposal to end the conflict. "They want to make a deal, but I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens," he said.
He did not elaborate on the specific aspects of the proposal he found unacceptable but indicated uncertainty over whether Tehran would ultimately agree to a settlement. "They've made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there," Trump added.
Trump also pointed to divisions within Iran’s leadership, suggesting they were affecting negotiations.
"The leadership is very disjointed. It's got two to three groups, maybe four, and it's a very disjointed leadership. And with that being said, they all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up," he said.
His remarks come after Iran submitted a revised proposal aimed at advancing negotiations to end the ongoing conflict, in response to recent amendments introduced by Washington.
Pentagon claims US blockade has cost Iran $4.8 bn
Meanwhile, Axios, citing Pentagon estimates, reported that the US blockade in the Gulf of Oman and surrounding maritime routes has cost Iran nearly $4.8 billion in oil revenue, tightening financial pressure on Tehran.
A Department of Defense assessment said Iran had been denied close to $5 billion in oil earnings due to disruptions linked to US enforcement operations targeting sanctioned maritime trade and energy exports.
The report comes amid tensions over shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit chokepoint.
Highlighting the assessment, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, cited Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez as saying the operation was aimed at sustaining economic pressure on Tehran.
"The United States' blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is operating with full force and delivering the decisive impact we intended," Valdez wrote on X.
"We are inflicting a devastating blow to the Iranian regime's ability to fund terrorism and regional destabilization. Our Armed Forces in the region will continue to maintain this unrelenting pressure."
(With additional inputs from ANI)