Trump: US Strikes Destroyed 42 Iranian Navy Ships in Three Days

US President Donald Trump, speaking at his Doral golf resort in Miami to a gathering of Latin American country leaders, claimed that American military strikes have destroyed 42 Iranian navy ships in just three days of combat operations. He said: US strikes on Iran have significantly damaged the country's military capabilities — we have destroyed 42 Iranian navy ships in three days. Trump presented the military campaign against Iran as a historic and comprehensive success. Looking directly at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said: Pete, you are fantastic. You're doing a great job. I'm proud of you. The 42-ship figure — if accurate — would represent the destruction of a significant portion of Iran's operational naval fleet, including IRGC fast-attack craft, patrol boats, and possibly larger surface vessels. The claim has not been independently verified. Iran's naval capabilities in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz have been a central target of the US campaign given their role in threatening Gulf shipping lanes and oil transit. The venue — a Latin American leadership summit at Trump's own golf resort — underscores Trump's continued use of personal diplomatic settings to conduct foreign policy. The claim serves the dual political purpose of demonstrating military effectiveness to Latin American observers while maintaining pressure on Tehran.