The clock was turned back to April 2026 when Donald Trump made his statement to Axios about a massive strike on Iran. The U.S. President said much the same thing he had repeatedly stated before the initial ceasefire in the early hours of April 9th. Now, Trump has spoken of strikes that “will be bigger than those carried out in ‘Epic Fury’.” Specifically, the U.S. President stated: “I’m considering a massive attack. Bigger than anything that has come before. I’m close to making a decision. We are all ready for it.” The Armed Forces confirmed they have not yet received an order. While a two-week ceasefire had been achieved in April, negotiations are now not merely frozen — they are all but ruled out entirely. The U.S. President also commented that Iran “is not yet ready” to reach an agreement, echoing the position he expressed in Ankara during the NATO Summit. Two Axios sources noted that a proposal has been put to Tehran, which it has not yet accepted. One of them stated: “We are trying, but the Iranians are not helping.”
Read more: Trump: “The nuclear energy deal depends on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords”
Trump: Israel is ready too
Donald Trump also claimed that if he were to ask Israel to participate in a military operation, it would do so. He made clear, however, that the U.S. does not need assistance, while warning that Iran could retaliate if Israel were to join any such operation. The same report notes that the United States has intensified its military operations over the past 12 days, with the aim of halting Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
This has not prevented Iran from continuing its operations in the region. Meanwhile, Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched attacks against Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, further escalating the crisis in yet another critical maritime trade corridor. Earlier, Trump had warned via a post on his Truth Social platform that if the Houthis launch new attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the United States will hold Iran responsible. He stated that the Houthis act as proxies for Tehran, and that in such a scenario, both Iran and the Houthis themselves would face a powerful military response.
