Trump says nine Iranian naval ships destroyed in joint US-Israel operation

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday evening that nine Iranian naval ships had been destroyed and sunk following a joint military operation carried out by the United States and Israel.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said some of the vessels were large and strategically important, making the strike significant amid the ongoing military campaign. He added that the mission was not over and further action was planned, with remaining ships expected to be targeted.

In a separate strike, Iranian naval headquarters was reportedly heavily damaged, with buildings destroyed and operations disrupted after the latest wave of attacks.

Concluding his statement with an ironic remark, the US president said, “Other than that, their navy is doing very well,” underscoring the intensity of the unfolding conflict.

Following the escalation, major global shipping companies — Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM — announced they were rerouting vessels around Africa, avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid security concerns and the reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Hapag-Lloyd said it would apply a war risk surcharge for cargo to and from the Upper Gulf, Arabian Gulf and Persian Gulf starting March 2. CMA CGM also announced an emergency conflict surcharge for shipments to and from Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Oman, Djibouti, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Jordan and Eritrea, as well as Egypt’s Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna.

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Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd confirmed they were suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice due to heightened risks.

Meanwhile, Trump proposed that Iran’s remaining leadership engage in a peace deal following the reported deaths of dozens of senior Iranian figures in the ongoing conflict. However, there has been no official indication from Tehran of willingness to enter peace talks.

Iranian leaders have instead reiterated their commitment to continue targeting US military installations across the Middle East, including what they describe as 19 American bases in the region, as tensions continue to escalate.