Fastnews
Dec 16, 2025

Their air defense systems, air force, navy, and leadership have been wiped out. [Now] they want to negotiate. I say: ‘It’s too late!

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Trump Declares It’s “Too Late” for Talks as U.S. Strikes Devastate Iranian Military Infrastructure

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Tuesday morning on Truth Social that Iran’s military leadership and key defense systems had been “wiped out,” dismissing renewed calls for negotiations as “too late” amid an escalating conflict that has rapidly expanded across the Middle East.

“Their air defense system, air force, navy, and leadership have been obliterated. [Now] they want to negotiate. I said: ‘Too late!’” Trump wrote in a fiery post that signaled a sharp shift from comments he had made just days earlier about agreeing to talk with Iran’s new leadership.

Over the weekend, Trump had suggested he was open to dialogue. “They want to talk, I agreed, so I will talk to them,” he told reporters. “They should have done it earlier.”

But events on the ground appear to have overtaken diplomacy.


From Negotiations to “Epic Fury”

Before launching a sweeping military campaign dubbed “Epic Fury,” the United States and Iran had engaged in three rounds of negotiations, the most recent concluding February 26 in Geneva. U.S. officials later concluded that Tehran was not seriously pursuing a nuclear agreement.

When announcing the military operation, Trump said Iran had rejected every opportunity presented by Washington to abandon its nuclear ambitions. “We cannot tolerate this any longer,” he declared.

By Monday, the rhetoric had escalated further. In a phone interview with CNN, Trump said U.S. forces were “hitting very hard,” warning that “the real wave has not yet come. It’s coming very fast.”


CENTCOM Details Scope of Attacks

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According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), within the first 48 hours of hostilities, U.S. forces sank 11 Iranian warships and struck approximately 1,250 targets across the country.

Satellite imagery released by Planet Labs captured burning vessels and extensive structural damage at the Konarak naval base in southern Iran, as well as widespread destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas along the Persian Gulf.

The images reflect the scale and precision of the coordinated assault, which targeted critical elements of Iran’s military infrastructure.

Additional imagery from Vantor reportedly shows damage to the Choqa Balk facility in western Iran, a site associated with drone operations. U.S. and Israeli forces also targeted ballistic missile launch sites, integrated air defense systems, naval submarines, anti-ship missile batteries, and communications hubs.

Radar systems at the Zahedan Air Base in eastern Iran — near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan — were also struck. The geographic distance between Zahedan and Konarak, roughly 800 to 900 miles, underscores the breadth of the coordinated campaign.


Smoke Over Tehran

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Perhaps most striking are satellite images showing thick plumes of smoke rising over Tehran, signaling explosions and fires inside the Iranian capital itself.

The images suggest the conflict has moved beyond isolated military installations and into the political heart of the country.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that 49 of Iran’s “top senior leaders” had been killed in the strikes, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

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