President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his criticism of Iran’s leadership, saying he has no trust in the regime while asserting that the United States currently holds a commanding strategic position over Tehran.
Speaking with reporters after returning from an official trip to Ohio, Trump said he believes the situation involving Iran is unfolding in America’s favor.
“Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” Trump remarked to reporters on the tarmac following an official trip to Ohio.
Trump stressed that he remains deeply skeptical of Iran’s intentions and argued that the United States has complete control over one of the world’s most critical waterways.
“I’m the last person to trust Iran. They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away.”
#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "I don't trust Iran. I'm the last person who trusts Iran. They've lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they'll… pic.twitter.com/gzXOYP9dVj
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2026
He added that Iran has lost the dominant regional influence it once exercised.
“But we right now, we’re in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years. It’s been saying 47 for four years. And they’re no longer the bully of the Middle East.”
Reporters also asked Trump about a Washington Post report published Monday describing a covert security operation during his departure from Turkey last month. According to the report, Trump secretly switched to a different military aircraft while the White House publicly maintained that he was flying aboard Air Force One because of a reported Iranian threat.
Trump said the decision was made entirely by his security team and that he simply followed their guidance.
“Well, it’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane … but they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” Trump explained.
He added that while he was aware there had been a threat, he did not seek extensive details.
“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats. I have a lot of threats that you don’t know about,” he added.
Trump’s latest remarks came one day after he was questioned about his earlier warning that the current negotiations with Iran represented its last opportunity before “decapitation.” Asked what would happen if diplomacy failed, the president declined to elaborate.
“You’ll find out.”
When reporters asked whether a significant military escalation remains an option, Trump again emphasized that the United States has that capability.
“Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”
Trump also repeated his rejection of Iranian demands for reparations, arguing that if compensation is owed, it is Tehran—not Washington—that should be paying.
“They ask for reparations, you might say, or they ask for money for the damage that we’ve done. And I said, that’s a good idea. Well, we’re going to ask for money for the damage they’ve done over a 50-year period, whether you go USS Cole or whether you go [to] all of the people that were so badly hurt, so badly wounded or killed – many thousands of people. And maybe damages for the 52,000 protesters over the last four months that were killed in Iran. It was at least 52,000 a month and a half ago. So now what is it? If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.”
{Matzav.com}
