Trump says he may use military force against Iran if needed

US President Donald Trump stated he would not hesitate to use military force against Iran again if necessary and noted he could act immediately. In an interview with the Salem News Channel, Trump said he would renew military strikes if he saw things developing in the opposite direction. The Jerusalem Post reports that Trump claimed the US controls the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, noting that a blockade has severely damaged the Iranian economy.

Trump stated that the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse, claiming its economy has been destroyed, its military forces have been wiped out, and inflation has reached 301%. He noted that the US has not lost a soldier in the last five months and that the majority of intensive fighting against Iran lasted only three weeks.

The Korea Times reports that Trump told Vice President JD Vance to focus his attention on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states rather than pursuing a deal with Iran. This directive follows reports that Vance was considering direct negotiations with a senior Iranian security official. The Jerusalem Post and The Sydney Morning Herald both report that following these reports of potential negotiations, the president decided his time would be better spent fighting a battle against the Democrats.

Brief written by urgent.news from Ajel English, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Jerusalem Post, The Korea Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.