U.S. President Donald Trump has described his current approach to the war with Iran as “just bop along” and watch Tehran’s economy deteriorate, even as the conflict threatens further escalation across the Middle East.
In an interview released late Monday, Trump accused Iran of being “devious negotiators” and outlined two starkly different options facing his administration: allowing economic pressure to continue grinding down Tehran or striking Iran “really, really hard.”
“I’m sort of negotiating,” Trump told Real America’s Voice in a phone interview. “They’re very devious negotiators.”
Trump’s unusually casual description of the strategy comes against a far more volatile regional backdrop.
Since the conflict erupted in late February, the U.S. president has repeatedly shifted between threatening major military escalation and suggesting that an agreement with Tehran could be close.
Pakistan said Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were approaching “some sort” of deal, while Qatar said negotiations over arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz had reached an advanced stage.
Those diplomatic signals have emerged alongside reports of fresh attacks on shipping in regional waters, underscoring the continuing risk that the conflict could spread further and disrupt one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Trump said one option was simply to continue the current approach.
“Do what I’m doing now: just bop along and look how bad they’re doing,” he said.
He argued that Iran was being steadily weakened by economic pressure and restrictions on access to its overseas funds.
“Economically, they are a mess. They can’t borrow money. We control their money, what they had, which is a lot. They had a lot, and we have total control of it. I’m their banker,” Trump said, referring to frozen Iranian assets.
But he also openly raised the possibility of dramatically increasing military pressure.
Another option, Trump said, would be to “hit them really, really hard.”
The comments highlight the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s next move as the war continues to strain U.S. military resources and heighten fears of a broader regional confrontation.
Trump dismissed concerns that the conflict had depleted American weapons stockpiles, saying the United States was “building them like crazy” and blaming former President Joe Biden for earlier transfers of military equipment to Ukraine.
Reuters reported last week that the U.S. Army had already consumed much of its inventory of highly accurate long-range missiles during the Iran war, prompting concerns over American readiness should another major conflict erupt.
“We’re fine with munitions,” Trump said.
He added that inventories would have been higher had Biden not, in Trump’s words, given “$300 billion worth” to Ukraine.
With diplomacy, economic warfare and the threat of heavier strikes all still in play, Trump’s “bop along” remark offered a strikingly relaxed description of a conflict carrying increasingly serious consequences for Iran, the United States and the wider region.