President Donald Trump has indicated there is room for further escalation against Iran after over a week of continual strikes against the Islamic Republic’s military.
The U.S. maintains that Iran violated the memorandum of understanding by striking cargo ships that were passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which led to the escalation in tensions.
.@POTUS: "Honestly, they haven't seen anything yet. We've been nice." https://t.co/aD4DJnMGX7 pic.twitter.com/r0GmQH5BqG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 21, 2026
“If we left today, it would take them decades to rebuild, and I don’t believe they could rebuild,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with top cabinet officials and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday.
The president has said that Iran's military and nuclear programs have take significant hits since Operation Epic Fury.
Trump says the U.S. will be hitting Pickaxe mountain in Iran "pretty soon very heavily and there is nothing they can do about it"
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 21, 2026
“And honestly, they haven’t seen anything yet. We’ve been nice. We’ve been nice,” the president continued.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who was in the Oval Office at the time, added that "Iran’s been given every opportunity to negotiate, to show that they're reasonable on the Strait of Hormuz."
"But if they're going to shoot a commercial shipping, then we're going to hit them, as the president said, 10 times harder, which every night we're degrading them further and further,” Hegseth added. “And the president has all the options necessary.”
“They can talk — otherwise, they can deal with the War Department!” the secretary continued.
🚨 JUST IN: SecWar Pete Hegseth DROPS this line on the Iranian regime from the Oval Office, flanked by Scott Bessent, JD Vance and President Trump
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 21, 2026
"[Iran] wants to talk? They can talk — otherwise, they can deal with the WAR Department!"
"Iran has been given every opportunity to… pic.twitter.com/YJxLFnaCZ8
A United States official confirmed to Townhall on Monday that “President Trump is focused on making Iran pay for their violations of the MOU and their continued acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz” and “make Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers.”
“These devastating blows will continue until the President deems otherwise, but talks between our countries are continuing,” the official stated.