Trump says Iran is 'decimated,' but he is not ready to declare victory

"If we left right now, it would take them 10 years and more to rebuild but I’m still not declaring it," President Trump said

By Natalia Mittelstadt

Published: March 16, 2026 5:15pm

President Trump said late Sunday afternoon that Iran is "decimated," but he is not ready to declare victory in the war.

Trump told The Hill news outlet on Air Force One whether he was ready to declare victory in the war with Iran, “No, I’m not going to do that. There’s no reason to.”

“I just say they’re decimated. I think that we’ve done damage to them,” he said.

“If we left right now, it would take them 10 years and more to rebuild but I’m still not declaring it,” Trump added.

When asked whether he is considering sending ground troops into Iran, Trump did not specify.

Trump said Saturday that the U.S. has beaten Iran “both militarily, economically, and in every other way.”

Last week, Trump said regarding Iran, "I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force."