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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he would not hesitate to use military force against Iran if he saw events turning against Washington, adding that he might act “right now.”
Trump made the remarks in an interview with the Salem News Channel. Asked whether he would hesitate to use force to stop Iran from “terrorizing our allies and our ships,” he replied: “No hesitation. We’re doing very well with it right now.”
“But the answer is, if I saw things going the other way, I would do that, and it’s possible I would do it right now,” he said.
Trump said the United States has suffered no military losses in recent months. “We haven’t lost a soldier in five months, and we control the Gulf,” he said, adding: “Totally control it.”
The comments come as Washington maintains a blockade of Iranian ports, which the US military began enforcing in April after peace talks ended without an agreement. The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Gulf, is one of the world’s most important routes for oil shipments.
Asked whether he was prepared to keep the blockade in place even if it took 26 months to bring down the Iranian government, Trump said the outcome was already underway. “Well, the regime is collapsing, and their press is much different than the facts,” he said.
He then listed what he described as Iran’s weaknesses. “They have 301% inflation. Their economy is gone. They’re not paying their soldiers. Their military is wiped out. Their navy’s gone. Their air force is gone,” Trump said.
Trump accused Iranian officials of speaking “with great bravado” about their position. He warned that “if something doesn’t work out, I would not hesitate.”
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