President Donald Trump accused the "fake news" media of wanting the United States to lose its war with Iran, while also criticizing The New York Times for its reporting that he claims portrayed Iran as stronger than it is.
During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump defended the military campaign against Iran and threatened additional strikes. He asserted that Iran's military had been significantly weakened but continued to receive favorable coverage from what he termed "fake press."
"All they do is talk and they have fake press. They do very well with the fake press, but because the fake news wants us to lose," Trump said.
Trump specifically singled out The New York Times, alleging the newspaper had reported that Iran was in a better position than before the U.S.-Israeli military actions began. He contrasted this with his assessment of Iran's military capabilities, stating, "They have no Navy, have no Air Force, have no anything. They have no military, they have nothing."
He also pointed to surging inflation in Iran, citing figures of 301% from a previous 5%, and questioned The New York Times' reporting on the country's economic and military standing.
Trump warned that additional American attacks were imminent following recent exchanges of missile and drone strikes between the two nations. "We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow, and there’s not a damn thing they can do about it," he stated.
The president specifically floated striking "Pickaxe Mountain," a fortified underground complex near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility. He suggested it could be a target for a "nice big fat shot right near the front door."
Trump indicated that U.S. surveillance capabilities were monitoring the site and claimed Iran had not resumed nuclear development there. "We’re watching it closely. We see no activity there. They’re not doing well with their nuclear. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up, so they don't like talking about it, but we'll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon," he said.
According to Reuters, Pickaxe Mountain contains deep tunnel complexes that experts believe may be beyond the reach of even powerful bunker-busting bombs in the U.S. arsenal. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have not been granted access to the site. Satellite imagery from late June showed vehicle activity near the western tunnel entrances, suggesting possible ongoing construction or fortification work.
Trump also expressed distrust in Iran's leadership regarding nuclear weapons, stating, "And frankly, if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it within one day."
These remarks came as U.S. Central Command announced it would resume its blockade of vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports. The military stated that humanitarian shipments would be permitted but warned that force could be used against non-compliant ships.