President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States could launch another round of military strikes against Iran unless Tehran reaches an agreement, escalating his threats as Washington intensifies economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
"We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree," Trump told supporters at a midterm campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, referring to the U.S. military operation launched against Iran in February.
"If they’re smart, they’ll just say, 'Let’s get down to business.' But, you know, I doubt they’ll do that because perhaps they’re not smart," he added.
Trump on Iran:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 23, 2026
We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or they will agree.
If they're smart, they will just say, "Let's get down to business."
But I doubt they will do that because perhaps they're not smart. pic.twitter.com/cucvWMKi4p
The remarks marked Trump’s latest warning of renewed military action against Tehran, following his declaration Thursday that American forces had already "knocked the hell out of" Iran and might go "a little bit further."
Earlier Friday, Trump asserted that the United States controlled the Strait of Hormuz, allowing other countries to ship oil through the strategic waterway while restricting Iran’s own exports.
"The question is, do we want to finish it off, or do we just want to let it wither? Because we’re getting everything we want," Trump told reporters.
He went further in a separate exchange, suggesting that the United States possessed the military capability to seize Iran’s oil resources or even the country itself.
"We could take the whole country. We could take all of the oil," he said. "And as you know, the Hormuz Strait is totally ours, and that’s the way we’ll keep it."
.@POTUS on Iran: "Last week, we took more oil out than we have ever taken out, even before the war... The question is, do we want to finish it off or do we just want to let it wither?" pic.twitter.com/2LLMoh2rzX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 23, 2026
The president’s remarks came as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that American efforts to isolate Iran economically had devastated its oil-export network while allowing energy shipments from the wider Persian Gulf to recover.
"Despite Iran's efforts to disrupt energy shipments, oil exports from the Persian Gulf are roaring back and have surpassed pre-conflict levels," Bessent wrote Friday.
Despite Iran’s efforts to disrupt energy shipments, oil exports from the Persian Gulf are roaring back and have surpassed pre-conflict levels.
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) October 23, 2026
The message is clear: Iran’s threats have failed to stop the flow of energy to global markets. pic.twitter.com/ZzP6CVFsPC
"The message is clear: Iran's threats have failed to stop the flow of energy to global markets," he added.
In a separate statement earlier Friday, Bessent credited the administration’s Operation Economic Outcast with depleting Iran’s shadow tanker fleet, emptying its main oil terminal and exhausting its offshore reserves.
"As President Trump takes action that his predecessors long deferred, the United States is no longer managing the Iranian threat. We are ending it," he declared.
Treasury launched Operation Economic Outcast to tighten the noose and block every potential source of revenue that funds the IRGC and murderous Iranian regime.
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) October 23, 2026
Less than two months later, we have decimated every layer of Iran’s oil lifeline. Its shadow tanker fleet stands… pic.twitter.com/eQD9Wqc8bH
Trump’s remarks also reflected the competing approaches to Iran detailed in a Thursday report by The Atlantic, which described Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advocating sustained economic pressure while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Trump to pursue another round of devastating strikes aimed at toppling the Iranian regime.
According to the report, the Trump administration is considering combining the two strategies, potentially launching several days of strikes after the November midterm elections against Iranian missile and drone capabilities, energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. An outside adviser cited in the report argued that economic pressure had brought Iran close to collapse and that additional strikes "would push them over."
The prospect of more immediate military action surfaced Friday when U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack suggested that American forces could strike Iran as soon as this weekend.
"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Barrack said during an interview with Mario Nawfal, while emphasizing that Trump remained open to a negotiated agreement.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 BREAKING: AMB. TOM BARRACK WARNS U.S. STRIKE COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 23, 2026
I asked Trump's Special Envoy, Tom Barrack: “Could there be a strike on this this weekend?
His answer was direct: "Absolutely.”
Amb. Barrack laid out exactly where things stand with Iran right now.… pic.twitter.com/upe7UlgGvb
Asked about Barrack’s remarks before his Florida rally, Trump appeared to playfully question the ambassador’s authority to predict military action.
"That’s my ambassador to Turkey. He’s a pretty powerful man, I guess," Trump quipped.
"If that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it," he added.
Q: Your ambassador to Türkiye said that "absolutely" there could be a strike on Iran this weekend.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 23, 2026
Trump: He is a powerful man, I guess.
I don't know anything about it. pic.twitter.com/uDAqSYUocJ
The president appeared to dismiss Barrack’s suggestion of an imminent strike without ruling out further military action.
Meanwhile, Iran has warned of retaliation if Washington resumes its military campaign.
Reuters reported Friday that two senior Iranian security officials described contingency plans to attack undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf, including efforts to prevent repairs and prolong disruptions.
"If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines … from undersea cables to military bases, including covert ones," one official warned.
Separately, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Brig. Gen. Yadollah Javani threatened that Iran would become a killing ground for foreign troops if the United States attempted a ground invasion.
The U.S. is discreetly moving some diplomats and their families out of the Middle East amid concerns of regional escalation - CNN
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 23, 2026
Nonessential staff and families have been ordered out of Saudi Arabia, with staffing reductions reported in Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, and Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/Qg7tjHuxXh
The US is rushing to move some diplomats and their family members from posts in the Middle East as the threat of regional escalation looms, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. https://t.co/67csR2hsOw pic.twitter.com/Nkgfpu5vdL
— CNN International (@cnni) October 23, 2026
Despite the heightened tensions, the administration continues to insist that a diplomatic agreement remains possible.
Garbage, completely fabricated headline from @FT and @ahauslohner.
— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) October 23, 2026
The description of my comments in this article as well as in the podcast is conjecture on their part and they should correct it immediately.
Here is the full exchange:
“How long do you think it'll take to… pic.twitter.com/8JuCP6XPlL
"The president and the U.S. Navy can maintain this blockade for their foreseeable future. The maximum pressure campaign is only tightening," Waltz said.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at
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