On Monday, President Trump announced that military operations against Iran would persist, even as he hinted at the possibility of the conflict winding down. Speaking from his Doral golf resort in Florida, Trump revealed that he had ordered the deployment of over 24 new B2 bombers, and he stated that 5,000 targets had already been hit by U.S. forces. The president described the ongoing campaign as a “tremendous success” but emphasized that the mission would continue until a decisive victory is achieved. He remained vague about the duration and future strategies of U.S. military efforts in the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard simply countered, asserting, “We are the ones who will determine the end of the war.”

Trump’s remarks came shortly after he claimed the war was “very complete,” suggesting that U.S. operations were ahead of schedule. “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” he told CBS News, noting that Iran lacked naval and air capabilities. During a press conference, Trump faced questions about his administration’s seemingly contradictory statements regarding the conflict. When a reporter highlighted the discrepancy between his comments and those of his defense secretary, who labeled the situation as “just the beginning,” Trump offered an enigmatic reply: “You could say both.” Later that evening, Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, threatening “Death, Fire, and Fury” if they attempted to block the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned, “If Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.” He added that the U.S. would target vulnerable sites, making it nearly impossible for Iran to recover. “Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard firmly stated, “We are the ones who will determine the end of the war.” Following Trump’s earlier comments about potentially ending the conflict, the stock market showed signs of recovery, with U.S. oil prices dropping to $86 per barrel from $91 as he mentioned a potential takeover of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Dow closed up 200 points after dropping nearly 900 points at its session low, while the S&P jumped 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq rebounded to 1.4 percent after crashing by as much as 1.5 percent. The President insisted that the Islamic Republican now has ‘no Navy’ with 46 of its ships sunk on the Gulf’s floor and off the shore of Sri Lanka. One of Operation Epic Fury’s key objectives was to wipe out the Navy, Trump has said. He also said that Iran has ‘no air force,’ and without radar, telecommunications, anti-aircraft systems, and most importantly, leadership. Iran’s military drone capacity is down to 25 percent and is soon expected to go to zero while the country’s missiles are mostly destroyed, he added. But the country’s second in command, Vice President JD Vance, has been ‘less enthusiastic’ about the war, Trump admitted. Vance, 41, a veteran of the Iraq war who has long had outspoken anti-interventionist views, is ‘philosophically a little bit different’ than the President, Trump shared. ‘We get along very well on this. He was, I would say, philosophically a little bit different than me. I think he was maybe less enthusiastic about going, but he was quite enthusiastic.’

Trump quickly added: ‘But I thought it was something we had to do. I didn’t feel we had a choice.’ The President claimed that before the US struck Iran was attempting to take over the Middle East. He also remarked how the Islamic Republic’s counterstrikes on Gulf nations was a critical mistake that has since driven the countries closer to the US. For the first time the president was quizzed on reports about a girls school in Tehran reportedly being hit with a US-made Tomahawk missile, killing at least 170. ‘Just don’t know enough about it. I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation, but Tomahawks are used by others,’ Trump said, trying to point out how Tomahawks are sold to other countries. ‘But I will certainly – whatever the report shows – I’m willing to live with that report,’ he said. Democrats in Congress have called for an investigation into the tragedy.

Trump told the New York Post he had a blunt message for Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei: ‘I have no message for him. None, whatsoever.’ Trump said Monday he was ‘not happy with’ Khamenei as the Islamic regime’s new dictator. When asked what he would do to the Islamic leader, Trump responded: ‘Not going to tell you…Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.’ Trump went further by telling close aides he would support killing Iran’s new supreme leader if he refuses to abandon the country’s nuclear program. Mojtaba, 56, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was appointed by the regime’s 88-person assembly on Sunday and announced as his successor, despite previous opposition from his father.

Earlier in the day Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the two discussed the Iran war and Ukrainian invasion. The Republican said the Russian wanted to be ‘helpful’ with regards to Iran, but real ‘hatred’ remains between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – both of whom Trump has been corresponding with to end the war, now in its fourth year. ‘We obviously talked about the Middle East, and he wants to be helpful,’ Trump said of the call with Putin at the press conference. The stock market clawed back from a brutal session after Trump’s remarks, with US oil plunging to $86 per barrel from $91 after he floated a takeover of the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow closed up 200 points after dropping nearly 900 points at its session low, while the S&P jumped 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq rebounded to 1.4 percent after crashing by as much as 1.5 percent.