Trump: Iran ‘Decimation’ To Continue As China Backs Hormuz Deal

Trump Warns Iran ‘Decimation’ Will Continue As China Backs Hormuz Deal

USS Nimitz entering the Arabian Sea

US President Donald Trump has issued one of his starkest warnings yet to Iran, declaring that the “military decimation” of the Islamic Republic could continue even as fragile ceasefire talks hang by a thread.

In a lengthy Truth Social post published during his high-profile visit to China, Trump hailed the damage inflicted on Iran’s military infrastructure during the recent US-Israeli campaign and ominously added: “To be continued!”

The phrase immediately fuelled speculation that Washington could resume military operations against Tehran if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme collapse.

Trump Signals Patience Running Out

Speaking later on Fox News during an interview with host Sean Hannity, Trump suggested he was rapidly losing patience with Tehran.

“I am not going to be much more patient,” he warned. “They should make a deal.”

Trump also revealed that the United States still wants to secure Iran’s remaining enriched uranium stockpile, though he surprisingly downplayed its military importance.

“I just feel better if I got it, actually,” Trump said. “I think it’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”

Still, he quickly returned to military threats.

“The other thing we could do is bomb it again,” he added.

The remarks underline how unstable the ceasefire remains despite a pause in major fighting since April.

China And America Find Rare Common Ground

Behind the scenes, the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz dominated Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The narrow waterway remains effectively closed following Iranian military operations, throwing global energy markets into turmoil and sending oil prices surging worldwide.

After talks between the two leaders, the White House said both Washington and Beijing agreed the strait must remain open and free from military control or toll systems.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later confirmed that China opposed the “militarisation” of Hormuz and did not support Iran’s proposal to charge vessels for passage.

Trump claimed Xi also privately promised not to provide military equipment to Iran.

“He said that strongly,” Trump told Hannity.

China’s position is hugely significant because Beijing remains Iran’s largest oil customer and one of Tehran’s most important diplomatic lifelines.

Fresh Signs Of Escalation In Gulf Waters

Despite the diplomatic language emerging from Beijing, tensions in the Gulf remain dangerously high.

On Thursday, British military officials reported that a vessel anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates had been seized and redirected toward Iranian waters.

India separately confirmed that a cargo vessel had sunk amid ongoing instability around Hormuz.

The incidents reinforce fears that Iran is continuing to apply pressure through maritime disruption even while formal ceasefire negotiations remain technically alive.

Before the war, roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the strait each day.

Iran’s Military ‘Significantly Degraded’

At the same time, top US military officials insist Tehran has suffered devastating battlefield losses.

Brad Cooper, the head of United States Central Command, told senators that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely reduced across “every domain.”

According to Cooper, Iran’s ability to threaten regional states, arm proxy groups and move weapons across the Middle East has been dramatically weakened.

However, intelligence reports continue to suggest Iran still possesses hidden missile and drone stockpiles buried deep underground, raising concerns that Tehran may simply be regrouping rather than defeated.

Congress Deeply Divided Over War

Back in Washington, political tensions are also rising.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly defeated a Democratic-backed resolution seeking to curb Trump’s war powers and require congressional approval for continued military action against Iran.

The measure failed in an extraordinary 212-212 tie vote.

Several Republicans broke ranks to support the resolution, reflecting growing unease inside Congress over the prospect of a prolonged conflict.

Democrats argue the Constitution gives only Congress the authority to formally declare war, while the White House insists Trump is acting lawfully under his powers as commander-in-chief.

Netanyahu Declares Iran ‘Weaker Than Ever’

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a Jerusalem Day ceremony to celebrate what he described as a historic weakening of Iran and its regional allies.

“The regime of terror in Iran is weaker than ever, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu declared.

He claimed Israeli military operations had fundamentally reshaped the Middle East by striking Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, weakening proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and deepening Israel’s alliance with Washington.

Netanyahu also repeated his long-standing claim that without Israeli action, Iran would already possess nuclear weapons today.

But despite the triumphal rhetoric coming from both Washington and Jerusalem, analysts warn the conflict remains far from resolved — with the Strait of Hormuz still choked, diplomacy stalled, and Iran’s leadership showing little sign of surrendering.

SOURCE