US President Donald Trump threatened to “blow up Iran” and “bring us back to the Stone Age” in a fiery Truth Social post on Wednesday after he rejected a ceasefire deal with Tehran. Trump said the US would consider it when “the Strait of Hormuz is open, free and clear”.
He said Iran’s new regime President Massoud Pezeshkian, whom he says is “much less radical and far more intelligent than his predecessors”, was the one who called for the ceasefire. So far, Iranian officials have refused to call for a ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisting that Tehran wants a complete end to the conflict rather than a temporary pause in the fighting. Iran has so far refused to negotiate with the White House and at this stage, it is unclear whether the Iranian president has the power to speak on behalf of the regime. Trump had previously insisted that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would not be an issue for the United States, suggesting it would happen quickly after the conflict ended.
Trump is expected to deliver televised remarks on the Iran war at 2 a.m. UK time on Thursday morning.
He told the newspaper that he viewed the alliance as a “paper tiger” and was considering expelling the US from the bloc.
On Tuesday, Trump indicated that the US would end up in Iran in “two or three weeks”, even if a deal is reached with Tehran.
Speaking at the White House, Trump also said that oil prices “will fall” after US troops withdraw from the country.
He reiterated his claim that regime change in Iran “has happened”.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine confirmed that more than 11,000 targets have been attacked in the past 30 days.
It was also reported that the Navy has successfully evacuated more than 150 ships.
US Secretary of War Peter Hegseth also said the coming days would be “decisive”.
“American firepower is increasing. Iran’s is decreasing. We have more and more options, and they have less,” he said.
“In just one month, just one month, we set the terms.
“The coming days will be decisive and Iran knows this, and they can do almost nothing about it militarily.”
