In an escalatory warning, President Donald Trump has told the Iranian regime to expect “fire and fury” if they attempt to block the flow of oil. Trump’s comments come as he describes the war in Iran as “very complete, pretty much,” citing the total destruction of the country’s naval and air capabilities. He framing the conflict as a “short-term excursion” that has already achieved most of its strategic goals.
The President’s rhetoric is a response to the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, whom Trump has called a “mistake.” Trump remains focused on the military’s success, claiming that 80% of Iran’s missile launchers have been eliminated by the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. He argued that the Iranian military now has “nothing left” to mount a credible defense.
Trump defended the war as a pre-emptive measure, stating that Iran was 100% prepared to launch a massive attack within a week of the first strikes. “If we didn’t go in, they would have come in after us,” he told a crowd in Florida. This narrative has been central to his administration’s effort to maintain public support for the two-week-old conflict.
The price of oil has been highly sensitive to Trump’s comments, dropping significantly after he suggested the war would end “very soon.” The President has warned that any “bad” actions in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a response “twenty times harder” than previous attacks. He has also hinted at a more direct U.S. intervention to secure the strategic waterway.
Despite the President’s claims of completion, the war continues to cause significant humanitarian distress across the Middle East. Over 1,200 people have died in Iran, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in Lebanon. Trump’s focus remains on an “ultimate victory” that ensures a safer world through American and Israeli military dominance.