Trump warns Iran ‘better get smart soon’ as he weighs military options over Strait of Hormuz
Options discussed at Monday’s Situation Room meeting included whether the U.S. military presence in the strait should change – either increase or decrease – and whether the military should become more aggressive in conducting operations there, the U.S. official said.
Trump has not made any decisions on the path forward, the sources said, and it is unclear when he might make a decision.
But Trump and other senior administration officials met with a group of energy executives on Tuesday, discussing possible next steps to continue the blockade of Iranian ports “for months if necessary” and how to minimize impacts on U.S. consumers, a White House official told NBC News.
The meeting, hosted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, included executives from Chevron, Trafi, Vitol, Mercuria and other companies.
The United States has shown little immediate enthusiasm for a new Iranian proposal that would end the war and reopen the strait without resolving the impasse over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program – a key stumbling block in stalled peace talks.
Trump gave his opinion Wednesday in a 4 a.m. article on Truth Social.
“Iran can’t get its act together. They don’t know how to sign a non-nuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote.
The text was accompanied by an apparently AI-generated image of Trump holding a gun, with the message “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” »
It was not clear what the president meant by “non-nuclear agreement.”
Washington has publicly insisted that Tehran end its enrichment program, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that any deal must be one that “permanently prevents them from rushing toward a nuclear weapon at any time.”
“US negotiators continue to engage with the Iranians, who are struggling to resolve their leadership situation following Operation Epic Fury,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement, referring to the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran. “The president will only make a deal that prioritizes U.S. national security, and he has made clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. »
That sentiment was even echoed last night in the East Room of the White House, where Trump hosted a state dinner for Britain’s King Charles III.
