Trump Debating Large-Scale War Against Iran If He Doesn’t Get ‘100%’ Of What He Wants

Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

President Donald Trump said he is open to full-on assault on Iran if he does not get everything he wants out of the enemy.

The president was asked about potentially ramping up the war on Saturday by Sonia Dridi, a White House correspondent for French TV news outlet LCI.

“I just asked on the phone President Trump if he was considering resuming a full-scale war with Iran,” Dridi said, according to the X translation of her post in French.

Trump told her, “if we don’t get 100% of what we want, absolutely.”

Dridi did not mention if Trump said what he is looking for in particular, but the president has insisted for months Iran can never obtain nuclear weapon, among other demands for ending the war.

Her post coincided with Axios reporting Trump halted a U.S. strike on Iran on Friday night. Trump had received a plan for a new round of strikes, but held off on approving them after the U.S. had hit Iran for 13 straight days prior.

The 13 consecutive days of attacks followed Iran striking a Cyprus-flag ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, violating the fragile ceasefire. Trump launched retaliatory strikes in response, and Iran killed two American troops with a missile and drone strike on a military base in Jordan on July 17.

Trump’s paused strike on Iran came after he told Axios reporter Barak Ravid the enemy had not suffered enough “pain” yet. 

“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump said.

As Mediaite’s David Gilmour noted:

Trump separately warned on Truth Social that the U.S. would hold Iran responsible if the Iran-backed Houthi rebels launch further attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after threatening a blockade there.

Calling the Houthis an Iranian proxy, he said “major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves.”

The president told Axios on Thursday he is “close” to deciding on the huge attack.

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