President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning to Iran on Monday, making clear that the United States still has powerful military options at its disposal if negotiations break down. While refusing to spell out his next move, Trump suggested Tehran would soon discover the consequences, dismissed the regime’s demands for reparations, and declared that the US Navy currently controls access through the Strait of Hormuz.
During a question-and-answer session with reporters, Trump was asked about his earlier statement that the current negotiations represented Iran’s final opportunity before “decapitation.” When pressed on what would follow if diplomacy failed, he replied, “You’ll find out.” Asked whether a large-scale military escalation remained a possibility, Trump responded, “Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”
Trump on Iran:
If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages. pic.twitter.com/ZatM7zlLkS
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 10, 2026
The president also pushed back against Iran’s calls for compensation, expanding on comments he had made earlier on Truth Social. Trump argued that if anyone deserves reparations, it is the United States and the victims of decades of Iranian-backed violence. “They ask for reparations, you might say, or they ask for money for the damage that we’ve done. And I said, that’s a good idea. Well, we’re going to ask for money for the damage they’ve done over a 50-year period, whether you go USS Cole or whether you go [to] all of the people that were so badly hurt, so badly wounded or killed – many thousands of people. And maybe damages for the 52,000 protesters over the last four months that were killed in Iran. It was at least 52,000 a month and a half ago. So now what is it? If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.”
When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump insisted that the vital shipping lane is already open because it is effectively under American control. “It’s open now. The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy. We have a blockade that’s been infallible. It’s a steel wall. And we let people in that we want to let in, and those people come in, and they’ve been coming in and going out. So it’s actually open now. We do not let them go into Iran. They’re not admitted into the Strait to go to Iran.”
Trump continued by describing Iran as financially devastated despite its ability to stir unrest. “[Iran] can make trouble, but they are broke. They have no money. Iran is totally broke. They are not paying their soldiers. Their inflation is 309%. So we’ll see what happens.”
Concluding his remarks, Trump said the Iranian regime is finally facing the consequences of decades of aggression across the Middle East. “For 50 years, they’ve been the bully of the Middle East. They’ve killed hundreds of thousands of people. Now they are paying a price,” he said.
{Matzav.com}