ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington must “finish up” its campaign against Iran, claiming that Tehran’s military has been effectively destroyed and its economy brought to the brink of collapse, as Washington maintains a naval blockade on the Iranian ports and intensifies pressure over its nuclear program.
Speaking at an event marking the launch of Arsenal 2, a new large-scale shipyard in Maryland, Trump said: “But we have to finish up. And it’s only a question of which way. Do we want to do it? The nice way or the not so nice way. And pretty soon you'll find out.”
Trump claimed that Iran’s air force and navy had been "annihilated" by US forces and that 159 Iranian ships had been sunk.
“They have no military. It’s shut. The whole place is shut,” Trump said. He described Iran as a “failed nation,” citing severe economic difficulties, inflation and alleged failures to pay members of its police and military.
Trump's remarks come as Washington continues its blockade on Iranian ports that began in mid-July, with concerns growing over attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
On Tuesday, India condemned an attack on a Panama-flagged tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz that injured 12 crew members.
Regarding the US naval blockade, Trump said Washington had established a “wall of steel” around Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that no vessel had been allowed through without US authorization.
“Not one ship has gotten through to Iran. The only ships that go through are the ones that we let go through,” Trump said. “And it’s had a huge impact. That’s why their nations failed financially. They’re a failed nation.”
US Central Command said late Monday that American forces had redirected their 130th commercial vessel in the region as part of the blockade. CENTCOM also said 13 commercial vessels had been destroyed for allegedly violating the blockade or being linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ “multi-billion-dollar shadow network,” while three others had been disabled.
The blockade has unfolded alongside mounting maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where at least 12 tankers have been attacked since September 28, most of them crude oil carriers. UKMTO has also reported multiple incidents involving commercial vessels in the strategic waterway, including one tanker that reportedly avoided an attack after complying with instructions from the IRGC.
Trump also reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“Our navy is leading the way, ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And that’s something we’ve been say that will never happen. That will never happen. That’s already faded complete.”
The comments come as Washington seeks concessions from Tehran over its nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium-enrichment capacity to meet US demands and end the seven-month war.
“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel?” Vance said. “And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue.”
Vance said the US was negotiating with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, but questioned how much authority they wield within Iran’s power structure after joint US-Israeli strikes at the outset of the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
