US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was considering resuming a full-scale war with Iran “if we don’t get 100% of what we want.”
In a phone call with French News Channel LCI, Trump said that he would resume a full-scale war with Iran “if we don’t get 100% of what we want, absolutely.” According to a report by Axios, Trump directed the US military not to launch new strikes on Iran on Friday, ending nearly two weeks of daily attacks.
After approving daily strikes for the previous 13 days, Trump reportedly declined to authorise Friday’s plan. It remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or marks a broader shift. When asked if he has any message for his European allies, Trump responded by saying: “They’re lucky they have me as their friend.”
Trump did not comment when asked if he was considering imposing more tariffs on the EU, saying: “I don’t want to comment on that. Thank you very much.” On Friday, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union after accusing the bloc of unfairly targeting major US technology companies with multibillion-dollar fines.
“The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, citing penalties imposed on Apple, Meta, Amazon and Google. He also said the penalties imposed by the EU “will be entirely reversed” and that his administration expects to impose “a substantial TARIFF” on the European Union “at the earliest possible moment.”
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This happens when an idiot leads the strongest country in the world.
How will all this end?
Iran had been considering a missile strike on a seaport in Ukraine in response to a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea; however, active diplomatic efforts have so far helped stabilize the situation. This is reported by The New York Times, citing statements from European and Iranian officials.
“Some sources said they expect Iran to launch a ballistic missile with a small warhead at Ukraine as a symbolic gesture, but one that would cause relatively little damage. Other officials said the target would likely be one of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports,” the publication writes.
At the same time, the NYT emphasizes that any missile strike launched by Iran against Ukraine would represent a sharp escalation of the conflict and could lead to a larger-scale war, given the tensions between the two countries stemming from Iran’s alliance with Russia.
According to the publication’s sources, Iranian officials have stated that they hope the conflict will end after their retaliatory strike, but Western officials have warned that it is difficult to predict Ukraine’s reaction.
Mehdi Rahmati, an analyst close to the Iranian government, noted that while some Iranian politicians have called for a retaliatory strike against Ukraine, others have advised restraint.
“Ukraine is not a small and insignificant country. It has combat experience and logistical support from the United States and Europe. We have nothing to gain by opening a new front in this war,” he said.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear how long tensions can be contained, the NYT emphasizes.