Why did US sink and not capture Iranian ships? ‘It’s a lot more fun’: Trump quotes his general

One of the major aspects of the Iran vs Israel-US war in West Asia has been the bombing of ships. Between Wednesday and Thursday, at least 3 oil tankers were hit. The worst among the ship attacks was perhaps the sinking of the IRIS Dena, near the Sri Lankan coast. Apart from these, at least 54 Iranian vessels were sunk, the US claimed. And why did the US not capture them? Well, “it’s more fun”, described one US general to President Donald Trump. > Just eleven days into Operation Epic Fury, the POWERFUL of the United States military is crushing the enemy. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B53Mij2n89 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 11, 2026 Just eleven days into Operation Epic Fury, the POWERFUL of the United States military is crushing the enemy. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B53Mij2n89 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 11, 2026 The US President said his military advisers told him it was “a lot more fun” to destroy Iranian naval vessels rather than capture them. The POTUS was describing war room discussions on the recent US operations targeting Iran’s maritime capabilities and efforts to keep global oil supplies stable. Speaking about the military campaign, Trump said he was initially upset and questioned why Iranian ships were being sunk instead of seized. “I got angry at my people. I said, ‘Why do we have to knock them out?'” According to him, one of his generals replied that it was “a lot more fun doing it this way.” > #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, “My administration… is also working to keep the oil flowing all over… We knocked out… they wanted to drop some mines – very friendly people, mines so boats blow up… They knocked out 54 ships in two days… I got angry at my… pic.twitter.com/cloZZhmAiC — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2026 #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, “My administration… is also working to keep the oil flowing all over… We knocked out… they wanted to drop some mines – very friendly people, mines so boats blow up… They knocked out 54 ships in two days… I got angry at my… pic.twitter.com/cloZZhmAiC — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2026 “But we knocked out 58 naval ships. We knocked out their Navy… They also knocked out the mine layers… They put mines in the water. Lovely job… we knocked out 31 of them… I was very proud of myself,” he said. Trump claimed US forces destroyed dozens of Iranian naval vessels during the operation, including ships involved in laying sea mines. He said the action was taken to prevent mines from being deployed in shipping routes and to ensure that oil shipments could continue moving through critical waterways. “They wanted to drop some mines – very friendly people, mines so boats blow up,” Trump said, adding that US forces targeted both naval ships and mine-laying vessels. He said 54 ships were blown up by the US in just two days. ## Bombing ships curbed drug trade by 98% He also referred to the use of maritime enforcement tactics previously deployed to stop narcotics trafficking at sea, saying the same approach was applied during the operation. According to Trump, this method had already reduced drug shipments arriving by sea by 98 percent. ## IEA agrees to release 400 million barrels of oil Alongside the military action, Trump said efforts were underway to stabilise global energy markets. He announced that the International Energy Agency had agreed to coordinate the release of what he described as a record 400 million barrels of oil from national petroleum reserves around the world. Trump said the move was intended to bring down oil prices and ease pressure on global supply chains amid the ongoing conflict. “I’m pleased to report that earlier today the International Energy Agency agreed to coordinate the release of a record 400 million barrels of oil,” he said, adding that the step would help reduce prices while the US continued its operations. The president indicated that the United States would continue its military campaign until it believed the threat had been fully addressed. “We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job,” Trump said.