President Donald Trump has released a short video meme highlighting the claim that 159 Iranian ships now rest at the bottom of the sea, contrasting images of an intact fleet under previous administrations with sunken vessels under his leadership. In the clip Trump declares that other presidents allowed Iranian ships to sail freely while terrorizing the world and advancing toward nuclear capability, whereas his administration sent them to the ocean floor. He gives credit to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and America’s brave troops for making the outcome possible. Trump has repeated the specific figure of 159 Iranian ships sunk on multiple occasions in October 2026, tying the number to the conflict that began in late February. The statement frames the result as a decisive defeat of Iran’s navy and a historic achievement that will be recorded under his presidency. The video has circulated widely among supporters as a concise summary of the maritime campaign.

US operations throughout the war have included carrier strike groups, submarine attacks, and a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that targeted Iranian warships and tankers in response to attacks on American forces and shipping. Hegseth has publicly discussed specific actions such as the torpedoing of an Iranian frigate and broader efforts that left Iran’s navy heavily degraded. Officials have described the Iranian fleet as no longer a significant factor in the theater after months of sustained pressure. The 159-ship figure remains Trump’s own tally and has not been independently broken down by vessel type in open reporting, yet it forms a central talking point in his description of the conflict’s naval results. As hostilities continue with missile exchanges and economic measures still in play, the president continues to present the sinking of Iranian vessels as clear evidence of victory at sea. The meme and accompanying statements keep the focus on the scale of the losses inflicted on Iran’s maritime forces.