US President Donald Trump on Tuesday strongly dismissed Iran’s military capabilities, saying Tehran’s forces had effectively been crippled and calling on the country to surrender amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Trump said during an Oval Office event that Iran’s leadership was privately seeking negotiations despite continued public threats and military rhetoric.
“They’re playing games, but I’ll tell you they want to make a deal. And who wouldn’t when your army is completely gone?” Trump told reporters.
The president added that Iran “should wave the white flag of surrender” but suggested the country was too proud to do so.
“If it was a fight, they would have stopped it,” Trump said.
Trump mocks Iran’s military might
Trump played down the scale of Iran’s remaining military operations, saying the country had reduced itself to firing “pea shooters.”
The remarks came as tensions continued in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is accused of threatening commercial shipping lanes despite a fragile ceasefire.
When asked what steps Tehran would take to violate the ceasefire, Trump gave a cryptic answer.
“Well, you’ll find out because I’ll let you know… They know what not to do,” he said.
Trump also suggested that Iran had not yet crossed the line despite recent incidents involving ships in the Persian Gulf.
“They didn’t shoot at the ships we were guarding,” he said.
Praise for the US blockade and “Project Freedom”
Trump has strongly defended the continued US military blockade and escort operations around Iranian waters, calling the campaign highly effective.
“The blockade was amazing. It’s like a piece of steel. No one will resist the blockade,” he said.
The president praised “Project Freedom,” a U.S.-led operation to reopen commercial shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of regional disruption.
Trump has likened the strategic waterway to a major American highway because of its importance to global energy flows.
“It’s like the Long Island Expressway for boats,” he said.
“Some of these tankers are 2 million barrels. It makes a big impact.”
Rising fuel prices ‘small price to pay’
Trump admitted that the conflict had contributed to rising fuel prices in the United States, but argued that the economic impact was justified by national security concerns.
“That’s a very small price to pay to get rid of a nuclear weapon from people who are truly deranged,” Trump said.
His remarks came as average gasoline prices in the United States climbed to $4.483 a gallon, the highest level since July 2022.
Fuel prices have increased by 30 cents and more than $1.30 in the past week compared to a year ago, according to market data.
Global oil prices also rose after the outbreak of the Iran conflict, although Brent crude eased to around $111 a barrel later on Tuesday.
The US military says the ceasefire is still in place
Despite new attacks blamed on Iran, senior US military officials insisted the ceasefire had not collapsed.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said Iran’s latest actions did not cross the threshold of “major combat operations”.
“No, the ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said during a briefing at the Pentagon.
Caine described Tuesday as a “calmer” day in the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing tensions.
Iran says US actions violate the ceasefire
However, Iran has accused Washington of violating the ceasefire through its military escort operations and blockade strategy.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that Tehran “has not even begun” to respond to US actions.
“We know very well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America,” he wrote on X.
Iran also disputed US claims that six Iranian boats were destroyed, with Iranian state media instead reporting civilian casualties after two small cargo vessels were reportedly hit.
The shipping crisis continues in the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is greatly disrupted despite US efforts to restore maritime traffic.
U.S. officials said only two commercial vessels have so far safely passed through the new U.S.-protected maritime corridor.
Shipping companies remain cautious amid fears of missile, drone and naval attacks on the narrow waterway that normally carries nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.
German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd said transit through the strait was still “not possible” for its vessels.
UAE faces renewed Iranian strikes
The UAE continued to face attacks as regional tensions escalated.
Iranian drones and missiles targeted the ground again on Tuesday after earlier strikes set fire to oil infrastructure in Fujairah and damaged cargo vessels, authorities said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the US and the UAE “should beware of being dragged back into the quagmire”.
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