President Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Iran over the weekend, warning of sweeping military action—including potential ground troop deployment—if Tehran does not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach a deal with the United States.
In a brief phone interview with The Hill on Sunday, Trump declined to rule out sending U.S. ground forces into Iran.
“No,” Trump said when asked directly whether he would take that option off the table. “Normal people would make a deal. Smart people would make a deal. If they were smart they would make a deal.”
The president’s comments came alongside a series of increasingly aggressive public statements, including a profanity-laced post on Truth Social threatening to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure as early as Tuesday if no agreement is reached.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump wrote.
Trump later told The Hill that no infrastructure targets would be off limits in the event negotiations fail, reinforcing the scope of the threatened escalation.
In a separate, cryptic post, Trump wrote only: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time,” without clarifying whether the message referred to a military action, announcement, or deadline.
The threats follow weeks of mounting tensions, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed for more than a month amid ongoing conflict. Trump has twice extended deadlines for Iran to reopen the vital shipping route, at times expressing optimism about a potential deal, but repeatedly returning to stark warnings of force.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them,” Trump wrote on Saturday.
Despite the administration’s claims of progress, Iranian officials have publicly rejected U.S. demands tied to reopening the strait. Reports from Reuters and Axios indicate that ceasefire talks intensified over the weekend, but stalled over that key condition.
Trump has also sharpened his language in recent days, previously warning that the U.S. could send Iran “back to the stone ages” and telling ABC News that America could end up “blowing up the whole country” if Tehran remains defiant.
The president’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and military experts, who warn that targeting civilian infrastructure such as power plants and bridges could constitute war crimes.
“Trump is calling reporters today to tell them he is going to commit mass war crimes next week. GOP leaders need to stop him,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote on X.
“Never mind that blowing up bridges and power plants and killing innocent Iranians won’t reopen the Strait,” Murphy added. “It’s also a clear war crime.”
As Tuesday approaches, uncertainty remains high over whether the administration’s threats will translate into military action—or whether last-minute diplomacy could avert further escalation.
