The United States carried out its first publicly acknowledged military strikes against Iran since late July, hitting two launchers on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official told NewsNation that the strikes targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces preparing to launch rockets capable of deploying sea mines into the strait. U.S. Central Command called the situation an “imminent threat.”
Trump calls Iran a ‘failed nation’ as fighting resumes
President Donald Trump called Iran a “failed nation” and demanded accountability from its leadership over the treatment of protesters.
“Iran is officially a Failed Nation. IT IS DEAD!” Trump wrote Monday on social media. “They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police, inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country.”
Trump’s remarks came as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire again Sunday, marking the first direct military confrontation between the two sides in a month.
Iranian president says Tehran doesn’t want war
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran does not want war but would respond decisively to any aggression.
“We are not seeking war. This is the message we have conveyed to the world so far. But we will never remain passive in the face of aggression, and we can give them a decisive response,” Pezeshkian said.
He added that instability in the region would affect every country and create problems for the entire region.
“If instability arises in this region, the entire region will be affected and face problems,” Pezeshkian said. “Instability is not in the interest of any of the countries in the region. Therefore, we must join hands and work together in this regard to ensure security, economic prosperity and development for this region.”
He said instability and unrest in the region would benefit no country and would create challenges for everyone.
Pezeshkian made the remarks as he left Tehran for Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to attend a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders.
Bessent says Iran is lashing out amid economic pressure from sanctions
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran is taking U.S. sanctions seriously and is lashing out because it is suffering economically.
“They are lashing out kinetically because they are losing economically,” he told reporters Monday at a meeting of G20 finance ministers. “We have the blockade, and we are going to continue exerting pressure. We have had very good discussions here already, and I think it could be within weeks or months.”
Pentagon disputes report that advisers warned against escalation
The Washington Post reported that military advisers told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that escalating operations in Iran could weaken the U.S. military’s ability to respond to other global threats.
According to the report, the warnings repeatedly appeared in Hegseth’s order book, a twice-monthly assessment of available warships, aircraft, troops and weapons.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back against the report, saying some of the information was inaccurate and that disagreements between advisers and the secretary are a normal part of the process.
“We are in great shape around the world,” Parnell said.