Trump poses ultimatum on Iran, questions whether to reach deal or 'finish them off'
US President Donald Trump presented a stark ultimatum regarding Tehran on Sunday, questioning whether Washington should finalize a diplomatic agreement or pursue total military destruction against Iran. "Do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off? That's the only question," Trump told Fox News, framing future action as a binary choice between diplomacy and escalated military operations. Asserting that American forces exert full maritime dominance over the Gulf transit corridor, Trump said: "Remember, we now control the Hormuz Strait.
They get nothing. Yes, we get everything." He maintained that commercial activity through the chokepoint exceeds pre-war levels, calling the US Navy's enforcement of the blockade on Iranian ports and shipping "unbelievable." Trump on Saturday suggested Washington could launch fresh military strikes or secure a comprehensive accord, questioning whether Tehran would honor potential commitments while asserting that either outcome delivers an American victory.
Control over the Strait of Hormuz remains a central friction point in the Iran war, which erupted in late February following joint US-Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire and a memorandum to conclude a final peace deal. Border enforcement and European unrest Turning to immigration, Trump linked urban unrest across European cities to lax border enforcement, contrasting the situation abroad with border controls in the US over the past 18 months.
Left out here: One side gets the space
The article gives no Iranian response to the threat to 'finish them off'. Iran's president accused Washington of derailing negotiations but said efforts to reach an agreement should continue. A reader sees only the US side of a choice between a deal and destruction.
How we know
- Al Jazeera English reported“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, accused Washington of derailing negotiations but said efforts to reach an agreement should continue.”CENTCOM reportedly has plans for Iran strikes: Will Trump approve them? (opens in a new tab)
"I closed the border. You know that we've had zero infiltration," Trump said, asserting that "zero illegal aliens" entered in that timeframe and claimed previous policies permitted millions of arrivals. Pointing to recent protests across France, Italy, Belgium, and Spain, Trump said he earlier warned French President Emmanuel Macron: "'You are destroying France. You're letting people come in that hate your country.'" He argued that mass migrant flows into Spain illustrate broader instability across Europe.
Taiwan and semiconductor trade Addressing advanced technology and manufacturing, Trump accused Taiwan of having "stolen" the entire US semiconductor sector through predatory pricing. "They stole our chip business, all of it, 100%, because they made chips at a ridiculous price, and they just pushed them in," Trump said, adding that stronger executive leadership in Washington would have averted broader regional friction with China.
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