President Donald Trump says he has "no hesitation" about striking Iran again if it threatens US allies or shipping. In a Thursday interview with Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel, he said that if he saw things "going the other way," he would act, and that it was possible he would do so right now. He claimed Iran's military has been largely destroyed, that its anti-aircraft defenses are gone, and that its economy is collapsing. He also warned that Iran would "not exist very long" if it killed a senior US official. The message was clear: the pause in fighting could end quickly.

Many of those claims are Trump's own, and the reports on the interview did not cite figures to support them. He said the US "totally" controls the Strait of Hormuz, yet ships passing through the waterway have reportedly been attacked almost daily, and two oil tankers were reportedly struck near it this week. Just days earlier, he had called renewed strikes "quite unlikely" while saying the US would keep its naval blockade in place. He also said the US does not need a deal with Iran, even as Vice President JD Vance is reportedly seeking direct talks. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders have called for retaliation against future attacks and a review of the country's membership in the nuclear treaty, so what comes next is far from settled.