United States President Donald Trump stated he is fully prepared to deploy military force against Iran instantly if American assets or regional allies face threats.
Speaking in an interview with Salem News Channel, Trump asserted there is zero hesitation in his administration’s current approach to Tehran, according to Anadolu Agency.
The remarks follow a series of shifting diplomatic and military postures across the Gulf. While Trump claimed in a White House press conference on Monday that the military conflict is essentially over, his administration maintains a naval blockade against Iranian ports, as reported by Kompas.com.
During the Thursday interview, Trump claimed that the US has suffered no casualties in the past five months and exercises complete control over Gulf waters. He said that Iran’s military infrastructure is on the whole finished, according to Anadolu Agency.
/data/photo/2026/04/17/69e201c2c76de.jpg "Photo: Kompas.com")
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a strike against an American early warning military radar stationed in Bahrain. Neither Washington nor Bahrain issued an immediate response to the claim from Tehran.
Meanwhile, regional mediation efforts continue amid precarious security conditions. Ibrahim Al-Hashimi, director of the media and communication department at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Tuesday that both Washington and Iran have given positive responses regarding ongoing talks, as reported by Antara.
| Actor / Nation | Stated Position | Current Action |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready to deploy military force if threatened | Maintaining naval blockade, Task Force Iron Gate |
| Iran | Demands unfreezing of assets and sanctions relief | IRGC strikes early warning radar in Bahrain |
| Qatar | Pursuing diplomatic mediation | Hosting talks to end status quo |
Trump also dismissed the need for a formal agreement with Iran in a post on Truth Social, declaring that the US holds billions of dollars in frozen assets and controls the Strait of Hormuz, CNN Indonesia reported.
“We do not need a deal with Iran. Those days are long gone. We have their money, hundreds of billions of dollars, and we have their strait!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, as cited by CNN Indonesia.
The diplomatic friction persists despite mediation from Qatar, whose Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington to discuss regional stability. Al-Hashimi said that mediators are working to end the situation of “not warring, but also not at peace” in the region.
