Trump Says U.S. May Expand Strikes in Iran, Pledges to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open and Claims War Is Near End
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington is prepared to widen its military campaign against Iran if necessary, keep the Strait of Hormuz open by force if required, and offer political-risk insurance for tankers operating in the Gulf, as he claimed the war is “very close” to ending and that Iran’s military capacity has been largely destroyed.
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| File Photo: OSINT Defender on X |
“We’ve struck over 5,000 targets to date,” Trump said, adding that some of the most important targets had deliberately been held back for later “in case we need to do it.”
The day President Donald J. Trump came down the escalator in 2015, he made a clear promise: “I will stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.”
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 9, 2026
Today, he is KEEPING that promise. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kby70vzMqG
Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States still has the option of striking more devastating targets inside Iran, especially if Tehran attempts to disrupt oil flows through the Gulf. He said Washington had deliberately avoided some targets tied to electricity production and other critical systems but warned they could be destroyed quickly if Iran escalates.
“If Iran does anything” to threaten global oil supply, he said, “they’ll get hit at a much, much harder level.”
He also said the United States is prepared to ensure shipping continues through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the route as essential to global energy stability. “The Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe,” Trump said. He added that the United States was offering “political risk insurance” to tankers in the Gulf and said the U.S. Navy and partner forces would escort vessels through the waterway if needed.
“If needed, we’ll escort tankers through the strait,” he said.
Trump argued that the conflict has become as much about global energy security as military objectives, saying the United States would not allow Iran to “hold the world hostage” through threats to oil routes. He also said Washington was considering waiving some oil-related sanctions to bring prices down during what he described as a temporary disruption.
Operation Epic Fury: The first 10 days pic.twitter.com/pGL1Scu4hG
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 9, 2026
“We’re also waiving certain oil-related sanctions to reduce prices,” he said, though he did not specify which countries or restrictions would be affected.
On the battlefield, Trump said the United States was now systematically destroying Iranian drone factories, missile production facilities and launcher systems. He claimed U.S. forces had been able to identify and destroy launchers within minutes of use and said B-2 bombers had recently dropped “dozens of 2,000-pound bombs” on missile-launch sites.
He said Iran’s air force, anti-aircraft systems, radar and telecommunications had effectively been eliminated and described the Iranian military threat as no longer capable of taking over the Middle East.
Trump again tied the war to the U.S. claim that Iran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran had rejected offers of unlimited free civilian nuclear fuel and instead tried to rebuild its weapons programme at a new, more deeply buried site after earlier nuclear facilities were struck.
He said “Midnight Hammer” had removed the immediate nuclear threat and insisted Iran would have had a bomb within “two weeks to four weeks” if the United States had not acted.
The president also gave one of his clearest indications yet that Washington wants political change in Tehran, though he suggested he would prefer an internal transition over externally imposed regime collapse.
Asked about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump called the choice “unacceptable” and said he was disappointed because it would likely mean “more of the same problem for the country.” He declined to say directly whether the new leader was a target but said the United States wants a leadership arrangement that can “do something peacefully for a change.”
Pressed on whether the war was over or just beginning, Trump said both could be true. He described it as the beginning of “building a new country” while also saying the “big risk” had already passed days earlier because Iran’s forces had been wiped out in the first stages of the campaign.
Even so, he made clear the United States is prepared to go further. “We’re going to go further,” he said, adding that the next phase depends on what he and senior officials decide they want to do.
Trump also addressed reports about the strike on a girls’ school in Iran, saying the matter was under investigation and declining to accept U.S. responsibility at this stage. He said Tomahawk missiles are used by several countries and insisted he would accept whatever the final report concludes.
On diplomacy, Trump said he had a “very good call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day, during which the two discussed both Ukraine and the Middle East.
Trump said Putin wanted to be helpful but remarked that Russia could be “more helpful” by ending the war in Ukraine first. He also said he would be visiting China soon and suggested the United States was effectively protecting countries like China by keeping Hormuz open, since they depend more heavily on Gulf energy than the United States does.
Trump’s remarks suggest that Washington now sees the conflict as entering a decisive but still unfinished phase where militarily, the administration claims Iran has already been broken; economically, the United States is trying to contain the energy shock; strategically, it is warning Tehran that any attempt to threaten Gulf shipping or rebuild military capacity will trigger even broader and more destructive strikes.
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