Donald Trump Defends Sustained Pressure on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump defended his administration’s actions against the Islamic Republic during an interview with Fox News, conducted hours after military strikes on Larak Island, asserting that Iran has now become a “failing nation.”

Speaking to host Trey Gowdy on Sunday Night in America, Trump addressed the ongoing war with Iran and U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic, describing the naval blockade of Iran as “incredible.”

Referring to Iran’s current trajectory, the U.S. President stated: “They are a failing nation now.” He further defended his administration’s maximum pressure strategy, pointing to the blockade as one of Washington’s most effective measures.

These comments come amid a renewed escalation in military tensions between the United States and Iran. On Sunday evening, U.S. forces targeted two Islamic Republic missile launchers on Larak Island, prompting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to announce retaliatory ballistic missile and drone strikes against two air bases in Jordan.

In recent days, coinciding with Washington’s tightening of economic sanctions against Tehran, Trump has repeatedly commented on Iran’s economic crisis. On Thursday, he asserted that the Islamic Republic is in “deep trouble,” claiming that the Iranian government is currently unable to pay its own forces.