Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany helping out'

"They have no navy; it's been knocked out. They have no air force; it's been knocked out. They have no air detection that's been knocked out. Trump said his administration's war against Iran successfully eliminated these military capabilities during ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets across the region."

"Trump said he had ordered the attack against Iran on Saturday because he had a feeling that Iran would strike first as negotiations over its nuclear programme stalled. Asked if Israel might have forced his hand on attacking Iran, Trump responded, No, actually, I might have forced their hand."

"Trump's comments are going to have a tremendous place in the US because the US president doesn't have the power to declare war unless there is a threat to the US. The US president has not offered any evidence of that, according to Al Jazeera's analysis of constitutional limitations."

Trump announced that US-Israeli strikes have neutralized Iran's military capabilities, including its air force, navy, and air defense systems. He justified the attacks by stating he had a feeling Iran would strike first as nuclear negotiations stalled, ordering the Saturday attack preemptively. This contradicts Secretary of State Rubio's earlier explanation that the US attacked because Israel was about to bomb Iran and the administration expected Iranian retaliation. Trump suggested he may have influenced Israel's actions rather than vice versa. Legal analysts note the president lacks constitutional authority to declare war without evidence of direct threats. German Chancellor Merz supported the military action but expressed concern about economic damage from rising oil and gas prices.

Read at www.aljazeera.com