Trump says latest escalation with Iran will end 'quickly'

Published 7 July 2026

Last updated 1 hour ago

Reading time: 5 minutes

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he does not believe a full-scale conflict with Iran will erupt in the wake of the mutual military strikes, following his latest threat to bomb Iran.

Trump told reporters in Ankara after a NATO summit: 'I don't think it will start again. I think it will end very quickly. They targeted two ships, so we hit them much harder.'

He added: 'Anything that happens will end very quickly... and will only make the situation safer, including for oil.'

Trump insisted that the war with Iran represented a 'huge military success' and said it prevented Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The US president described Iranian negotiators as 'a bit crazy,' adding: 'In one day, all their anti-aircraft defenses disappeared... everything ended. Their leaders are finished... They have another set of leaders, and maybe they will leave too. Who knows?'

Trump said: 'I may leave too, because I am their number one target.'

For its part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing the United States of violating the memorandum of understanding, an agreement between Iran and the US to work toward ending the war.

Tehran reiterated its condemnation of what it called 'repeated illegal attacks against Iran, in addition to the US Treasury Department's decision last night to revoke the license for Iranian oil sales' among the violations, warning that the United States is responsible for the 'grave consequences' of this escalation.

'We may hit them hard'

Hours earlier, Trump threatened Iran with new strikes, saying: 'We will hit them hard again tonight probably... I gave them a simple warning, we will hit them hard again tonight.'

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In a related context, Trump said he believes Israel will withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, adding that he feels Israel wants to take this step.

This came after US strikes targeted Iranian sites on Tuesday-Wednesday night, after which Tehran announced targeting 'US bases' in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Pakistan expressed 'grave concern' over rising tensions in the region. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: 'Renewed fighting is in no one's interest,' calling on all parties to exercise restraint and fulfill their commitments under the memorandum of understanding.

The statement added: 'There is no substitute for continued communication, dialogue, and diplomacy.'

Pakistan was among the main mediators in signing the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran last month, after hosting high-level talks in April.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the matter that Trump informed allies of the need to reach a sustainable agreement with Iran, but held Tehran responsible for the latest violation of the temporary ceasefire agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, said that the talks between the United States and Iran 'will continue' despite the exchange of attacks in recent hours, calling for moving forward 'with a lot of calm, composure, and patience.'

Iranian army: 8 dead from US strikes

The Iranian army announced on Wednesday that eight of its personnel were killed in the latest US strikes on the south of the Islamic Republic.

The army said in a statement carried by state television: 'Following the criminal aggression carried out this morning by the American terrorist army on areas in southern Iran, eight brave members of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and Navy were martyred in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr,' according to the statement.

This comes as a US military official said that the latest attacks launched by Iran, which it said targeted US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, did not result in American casualties or cause significant damage to facilities.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP: 'All the missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted or failed to cause significant damage.'

Iran's Revolutionary Guard had said it targeted '85 major US military facilities' in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US strikes, in a statement carried by state television.

This comes after the US launched strikes on Iran on Tuesday following an attack on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a sharp escalation in a confrontation that undermines efforts to end the war in the Middle East.

Proposed Iranian arrangements for passage through the Strait of Hormuz

A post by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on X said that 'the US strikes come in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,' warning Iran it will 'pay a heavy price for targeting and attacking commercial ships.'

Image caption: US official says initial indications show Iran fired on three commercial ships

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday revoked a license that had temporarily lifted oil sanctions on Iran, describing Tehran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz as 'completely unacceptable.'

A US official said Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz are 'totally unacceptable' and that it will face severe consequences after the attacks on oil tankers in this strategic waterway.

He added that 'negotiators continue to work in good faith to reach a final agreement with Iran despite the latest escalation.'

The license, announced in June, had allowed the Islamic Republic to produce, sell, and supply crude oil and its derivatives until August 21.

Washington says Iran requested a meeting in Doha today, Tehran denies

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte considered the new US strikes on Iran 'very necessary.'

Rutte told reporters on Wednesday ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara: 'When Iran significantly violates a ceasefire, I think it is very necessary for the United States to respond strongly.'

Three ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, none of which resulted in casualties or environmental damage.

The first ship was hit by an unidentified projectile on its port side while sailing off the coast of Oman, causing fires on board, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Without directly accusing any party, the British authority reported two other incidents: an unidentified projectile struck an oil tanker causing 'structural' damage, and a drone of unknown origin targeted another oil tanker.