President asserts U.S. strikes crippled Iran's military capabilities

In remarks at the dinner the President asserted that U.S. actions had "hit Iran very hard," saying their navy and air force had been decimated and providing figures for lost equipment. "250 jets, no longer. 159 boats... at the bottom of the sea," he said while asserting Iran had limited radar and drone capability remaining.

He framed the remarks as a warning that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon," stating the United States would not allow cities or allies to be threatened, and said he was open to talks but not yet ready for a deal. The transcript contains no corroborating evidence or supporting documentation for the equipment counts provided during the speech.