Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that its forces destroyed multiple U.S. military aircraft in the past 15 days, as an Iranian senior security official dismissed America's threats to strike the Pickaxe Mountain the same day.
Hossein Mohebbi, spokesman for the IRGC, said that from July 6 to 22, the U.S. suffered from heavy losses in the Middle East, including 11 fighter aircraft and helicopters on the ground, 17 reconnaissance and operational drones, one F-15 fighter jet inside the shelter, one P-8 plane, one C-17 transport plane and eight refueling planes.
The Fars news agency on Saturday also released satellite image showing the destruction of a U.S. ammunition depot in Jordan and an damaged Amazon data center facility in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, in response to President Donald Trump's threat on Tuesday that the United States was prepared to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain "very soon" and "very heavily", an Iranian senior security official said any attacks against the underground, nuclear-linked facility are doomed to fail due to its extremely strong fortifications.
The official claimed Pickaxe Mountain, located in Iran's Isfahan Province, is empty, which would leave any strikes with no benefit in real life.
Iran says destroying multiple US military aircraft in past 15 days
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the country's military not to carry out new airstrikes on Iran on Friday, breaking a streak of attacks that had continued for 13 consecutive days, Axios reported Saturday.
Citing two people familiar with the matter, the media report said that over the past two weeks Trump had approved military strike plans nearly every afternoon, with operations typically executed within hours. On Friday, however, Trump did not sign off on a similar plan and instead directed the military to stand down.
Axios said the pause signaled Trump's willingness to create more space for diplomatic efforts, while reflecting an assessment that the current level of airstrikes may have limited additional impact unless the U.S. escalates its campaign against Iran to a broader level.
The media report added that the U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to large-scale operations, but that Trump has not made a decision.
Axios also reported that just hours before Trump ordered the pause on Friday, an Omani delegation arrived in Iran to discuss new arrangements for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. According to two regional sources, Axios noted, these negotiations have already made progress, and an agreement between Oman and Iran could potentially be reached over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Trump has signaled that the United States' next steps could hinge on whether the ongoing behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iran could revive diplomatic efforts and bring an end to the war.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, he said the United States and Iran are in talks and that he believes Tehran is getting "more serious." However, he also warned that U.S. forces could intensify military action if necessary.
Trump ordered halt to Friday's strikes on Iran: media
