Trump: U.S. Won Iran War, But Bombing Will Continue If Iran Doesn’t Submit to Demands

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House today that “we won” the war on Iran. He told PBS’s Liz Landers that bombing will continue unless Iran knuckles under to American demands.

The remarks followed two posts to Truth Social, one yesterday and one this morning, in which Trump said the war was nearly over, but if not, the bombing will continue.

Last week, he said Iran “better get smart soon” … or else.

Close to a Deal?

Last night on Truth Social, Trump reported progress toward a peace deal with Iran:

Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed.

But then this morning, he promised more bombing, apparently to destroy what’s left of Iran’s military:

Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.

Speaking to Landers, Trump predicted more bombing if Iran doesn’t meet U.S. demands.

Asked whether he is optimistic about a deal, Trump replied yes, “but I felt that way before with them, so we’ll see what happens, and we’ll — I think we’ll have a very good chance of making a deal again.”

“If we don’t, we’ll go back to our old ways,” he said.

He told Landers that the United States would get Iran’s uranium as part of the deal, and that Iran must also vow to stop operating underground facilities.

Asked whether Mideast envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will return to Pakistan, Trump said, “Unlikely.”

“I think we can do it here, and maybe for the final meeting, we’ll have a signing someplace…. But unlikely. But it’s getting very close. If they agree, it’s over, and if they don’t agree, we bomb.”

On April 29, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran “better get smart soon” or “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”

“We Won”

Yet today at a ceremony honoring the mothers of the American service members killed in Kuwait on March 1, Trump declared that the United States “won” the war.

“They don’t have any planes, they don’t have any antiaircraft, and they don’t have any radar left, Trump said:

Their missiles are mostly decimated, they have some, they have probably 18-19 percent, but not a lot by comparison to what they had. And their leaders are all dead. 

So I think we won.

Former U.S. counterterrorism chief Joe Kent again urged Trump to declare victory and end the war.

Writing over Trump’s Truth Social post from yesterday, Kent said, “This is a good sign. End the war, declare victory & bring our troops home. Avoid getting sucked into another foolish war.”

“The only people who will criticize President Trump for ending the war are the neocons & Israelis who got us  into this mess in the 1st place,” Kent continued.

Over Trump’s “No More Mr. Guy” post, Kent explained that continuing the war and ensuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is fruitless and counterproductive for the United States.

“Continuing the blockade puts far more pressure on us than on Iran,” he wrote:

Iran has proven it can endure economic pain—it has been doing so since 1979. The blockade will not force Iran to abandon uranium enrichment, ballistic missiles, or its proxy networks.

Kent predicted rising gas prices that will harm the middle-class Americans who voted for Trump and endanger GOP candidates in November’s election. 

“The smarter path is clear: withdraw, declare victory, and use sanctions relief as our negotiating leverage with Iran,” Kent wrote:

This resets the talks on our terms, avoids war, and prevents further escalation of the energy crisis at home and abroad.

Last week, when top administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress that the war had cost $28 billion, CNN disclosed that sources put the figure much higher, as much as $50 billion.

The Iran War Tracker was less optimistic, putting the price tag at $67 billion. Now, the tracker says, the cost is $73 billion, roughly $1 billion per day.