Donald Trump on Tuesday denied reports suggesting he is attempting to compel Iran back to the negotiating table, instead challenging the nation's populace to rise against their government.
The latest military actions follow a period of relative calm, with Trump ordering a new series of ballistic missile strikes against Iranian targets. These strikes, numbering around a dozen, targeted radar systems and military assets along a 300-mile stretch of the coast near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported strikes on the oil-rich Qeshm Island, with explosions also noted in the southern port cities of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar.
"I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable."
Trump then directly addressed the Iranian people: "When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"
This statement comes after thousands of Iranians were reportedly killed by their government earlier in the year following protests against the ruling leadership.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have launched a ballistic missile strike on Camp Titin, a U.S. Marine base in Jordan, in retaliation for the latest American actions. The Pentagon has not yet confirmed this claim. This exchange follows Iranian strikes over the weekend on U.S. bases in Jordan, with U.S. Central Command stating it is "hitting back hard" against the regime.
Trump issued a stern warning against further Iranian retaliation, stating, "If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!"
Earlier, U.S. embassies in Qatar, Israel, and Jordan issued a warning to American citizens in the Middle East, citing heightened tensions and the potential for sudden escalation. The advisory urged vigilance and awareness of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions.
Late Monday night, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked two commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. These actions occurred despite Trump's previous assertions that Iran's military had been destroyed and the conflict was over.
The renewed military tensions have impacted global markets, with Brent crude climbing 4 percent to $94 a barrel on Tuesday afternoon.
In June, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a 14-point ceasefire mediated by Pakistan, with 60 days allocated for negotiations. However, fighting resumed within weeks, and the deal expired on August 17 without a replacement. Currently, no talks are underway, and Trump has indicated he will not extend the ceasefire.
The White House is demanding Iran surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium and dismantle its nuclear program. Tehran has refused to make concessions unless the U.S. lifts its naval blockade and allows Iran to control the strait. In August, Trump stated that Iran was not going to make the necessary deal.
These strikes follow a statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said the U.S. would "economically asphyxiate this regime" until it agrees to a deal. Trump echoed this sentiment, vowing to launch a new "economic D-Day" on Iran if it does not dismantle its nuclear program. Six months into this intensified pressure, neither side has yielded, despite repeated U.S. and Israeli strikes.