‘You’ll find out’ – Trump hints at possible air campaign against Iran

President Trump hints major escalation against Iran remains possible as Hormuz talks falter.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump warned Monday that a major new escalation against Iran remains an option, offering an ominous response when asked what would follow if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington.

“You’ll find out,” Trump told reporters at the White House when questioned about his earlier warning that Iran was facing its final opportunity to strike a deal.

Asked specifically whether a massive military escalation remained on the table, Trump replied, “We certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”

The remarks came a week after Trump warned that negotiations represented Tehran’s “last chance before decapitation,” as his administration seeks an agreement covering the Strait of Hormuz amid continuing military and economic pressure on Iran.

On August 3, Trump said he wanted to give Tehran “every last chance before decapitation” while insisting talks were underway despite Iranian denials at the time.

Trump on Monday also rejected Iran’s demand that the US and Israel compensate it for damage caused during months of war, instead turning the demand around and saying Tehran should pay for decades of deaths and destruction attributed to Iran and its proxies.

“We’re going to ask for money for the damage they’ve done over a 50-year period,” Trump said, saying compensation should cover American military personnel and others killed or wounded in the region.

Earlier Monday, Trump said on Truth Social that his representatives had been instructed to add the demand for Iranian compensation to future negotiations.

He cited Americans killed by Iran-backed forces and Iranian protesters killed by the regime, while also referencing the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen.

The latter attack, which killed 17 US sailors, was carried out by al Qaeda rather than Iran, according to the FBI.

The escalating rhetoric comes as negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz appear increasingly uncertain.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran’s discussions with Oman over new shipping arrangements in the strategic waterway were “progressing smoothly and constructively,” with the sides agreeing on a map for shipping routes while technical issues remained unresolved.

But Iran has insisted that broader conditions must be met before the strait is fully reopened, including an end to US sanctions and military threats, the lifting of the American blockade on Iranian ports and compensation for damage inflicted during the war.

“It is up to the US side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Baghaei said.

Washington has also opposed proposals that could allow Iran to collect fees from ships moving through the strait, while Tehran has sought a greater formal role in controlling traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

Before the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through Hormuz.

Trump presented a very different picture Monday, declaring that the waterway was already effectively open under American control.

“It’s open now,” Trump said, asserting that the US Navy controls access and is allowing approved vessels to pass while blocking ships headed to Iran. He described the American blockade as a virtually impenetrable barrier.

Reuters, however, reported that the strait remains effectively restricted and that months of US military operations have not eliminated Iran’s ability to interfere with traffic.

Tehran has continued attacking commercial vessels traveling without its approval, while the US resumed its blockade of Iranian shipping in July after Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in June.

The dispute has major economic implications. Oil prices jumped about 5% Monday as the widening gap between Washington and Tehran reduced expectations that an agreement to normalize Hormuz traffic was imminent.

Trump suggested that economic pressure could ultimately force Tehran to back down, portraying the Islamic Republic as financially exhausted by months of war and sanctions.

“Iran is totally broke,” Trump said, before arguing that Tehran was struggling to pay its armed forces and facing severe inflation. He added that Iran could still “make trouble” but suggested its ability to withstand continued pressure was rapidly diminishing.

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