Trump says no one knows who runs Iran, claims nuclear threat to Israel

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said early Friday that no one knows who is running Iran, alleging that the country would destroy Israel and the rest of the Middle East if it obtained nuclear weapons. Speaking in remarks carried by Turkish outlets, Trump said the United States had neutralized Iran's navy and air force and that much of its leadership had been removed, making negotiations difficult. He maintained that U.S. forces had decisively defeated Iran militarily, even though Tehran still holds some missiles and drones. Iran retains far less capacity to produce such weapons than it did five months ago, he added. On Wednesday, Trump announced the launch of what he described as the toughest economic operation ever mounted against Iran. He did not provide further details on the new measures. No immediate response from Iranian officials was reported.