Washington, Oct 2026 : US President Donald Trump has warned that American forces could launch fresh military strikes against Iran if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington, indicating that military action remains an option despite his claims that Iran has already suffered a decisive defeat.
Speaking at a Republican campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, Trump said the United States could repeat elements of its military campaign against Iran if diplomatic efforts failed to secure an agreement.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree. If they're smart, they'll just say, let's get down to business,” Trump told supporters, signalling that Washington intends to maintain pressure on Tehran while keeping the door open for negotiations.
The remarks came as Trump sought to defend the US military campaign, arguing that it had significantly weakened Iran's military capabilities and damaged its nuclear programme. He maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained the primary objective of American operations.
Trump Claims US Military Operations Weakened Iran
Referring to Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, Trump claimed that American military action had severely damaged Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities and weakened its broader military infrastructure.
“We obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer,” he said, adding that subsequent operations had reinforced the impact of the initial strikes.
Trump also asserted that the United States had defeated Iran militarily and financially, while emphasising that Washington was working to ensure the results of its campaign were sustained.
“We defeated them militarily, financially and otherwise and now we are ensuring it's done,” the US President said.
However, Trump did not specify the conditions Tehran would need to fulfil to prevent further attacks. He also offered no details about the status of negotiations or a possible framework for an agreement between the two countries.
Trump Expects Conflict to End Through Deal or Military Action
In a separate interview with Florida television station WINK-TV, Trump expressed confidence that the conflict could end soon, although he did not provide a timeline.
“I see it ending soon. I see it ending one way or another, through agreement or otherwise,” he said.
The comments suggest that the Trump administration is seeking to combine diplomatic pressure with the possibility of further military action. The absence of specific details about negotiations, however, leaves uncertainty over the immediate prospects for a settlement.
Trump reiterated his argument that military intervention had been necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He criticised previous administrations for failing to adequately address what he described as a serious threat to American security.
“I had to attack Iran, or they would have had a nuclear weapon,” Trump said during the television interview.
He also defended the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers in the military campaign, arguing that the strikes were necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.
Iran Faces Economic Pressure as Strait of Hormuz Remains in Focus
At the Fort Myers rally, Trump also highlighted Iran's economic difficulties, claiming that the country was experiencing severe inflation and financial pressure.
He argued that the combination of American military operations and economic measures had left Tehran with limited options and increased the pressure on its leadership to reconsider its position.
Trump also referred to US naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a substantial share of global oil shipments normally passes. He claimed that the US Navy was enforcing a blockade against Iran while allowing other shipping to continue.
The President further asserted that oil shipments through the strategic route had increased despite the conflict.
Any further escalation between Washington and Tehran could have implications for regional security, international energy markets and global shipping. The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly significant because disruptions to maritime traffic could affect oil supplies and prices worldwide.
Trump's latest warning underscores the continued uncertainty surrounding US-Iran relations, with Washington maintaining the threat of additional military strikes while leaving open the possibility of a diplomatic agreement. Whether Tehran and Washington can reach a settlement remains unclear.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
