Trump threatens to leave ‘very little’ of Iran if Tehran retaliates

Trump threatens to leave ‘very little’ of Iran if Tehran retaliates

US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch an even more devastating attack on Iran if Tehran retaliates against the latest US military strikes near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Trump issued the warning on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, shortly after the United States launched a fresh wave of strikes against targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the operation as a “large and powerful” attack, saying it was carried out in response to what he described as Iran’s failed attempt to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

He also cited Iran’s recent missile attack on a US military base in Jordan, saying Tehran had fired eight missiles and that all eight were successfully intercepted.

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz currently had no mines, claiming they had either been removed or detonated.

The US president then issued a direct warning to Tehran, saying Iran would be hit again “at a much harder and higher level” if it retaliated against the latest American operation.

Trump went further, warning that an even bigger attack was already being prepared.

He said the larger operation was “waiting in the wings” and warned that, once carried out, “there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The threat came as the US military confirmed that it had begun striking IRGC targets in Iran, with the United States saying the operation followed recent attempted attacks by Iranian forces against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members deployed in the region. (AP News)

The latest strikes represent a sharp escalation between Washington and Tehran after US forces attacked Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

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The US said the earlier operation was aimed at preventing Iranian forces from using the launchers to deploy sea mines and threaten shipping through the waterway.

Iran responded by firing missiles towards US military positions in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted incoming missiles, while the United States also said the Iranian attack had been successfully countered.

The renewed confrontation has significantly increased concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for global oil shipments.

The crisis intensified further after two supertankers carrying Saudi crude were struck by unidentified projectiles while passing through the strait near Khasab, Oman, on Monday.

The vessels, the Saudi-flagged Sidr and the Liberian-flagged Senegal Prosperity, had each loaded about two million barrels of Saudi crude at the Juaymah terminal before the incidents. No casualties were reported. (Reuters)

The attacks on the tankers have raised fresh concerns about the safety of commercial vessels and the potential impact of the conflict on international energy supplies.

Oil prices rose sharply on Tuesday as markets reacted to the renewed US-Iran conflict and the growing risk of prolonged disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude climbed above $94 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate also recorded a significant increase. (AP News)

The escalation is also putting pressure on diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading further across the Middle East.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained that Tehran is willing to pursue a negotiated solution, but he has called on Washington to honour commitments under an interim understanding reached earlier in the conflict.

Pezeshkian has indicated that Iran would reciprocate if the United States returned to its commitments under the agreement, while Tehran has continued to condemn the latest American strikes. (Al Jazeera)

Iran has nevertheless warned that the United States should expect consequences for the latest attacks. An IRGC spokesperson said severe punishment awaited the attackers and warned that Washington would regret the strikes. (The Independent)

The conflicting signals from Tehran — threats of retaliation alongside calls for renewed negotiations — have added uncertainty over the next stage of the confrontation.

The situation is particularly sensitive because the Strait of Hormuz remains central to the global oil market. Any sustained disruption to the waterway could affect crude supplies, shipping costs and fuel prices in countries far beyond the Middle East.

Attempts by regional powers, including Qatar and Oman, to mediate and restore stability around the waterway have so far failed to prevent the latest escalation. The attacks on commercial vessels have further complicated efforts to reopen the route safely. (Reuters)

Trump’s latest warning therefore raises the possibility of a much broader US-Iran military confrontation if Tehran launches another attack in response to the American strikes.

For now, Washington says its operations are aimed at countering threats to US forces and commercial shipping, while Tehran insists that it will defend its interests and respond to what it regards as American aggression.

The coming days could determine whether the latest exchange remains a limited confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz or develops into a wider regional conflict, with potentially significant consequences for global oil prices, international shipping and Middle East security.

Trump threatens to leave ‘very little’ of Iran if Tehran retaliates