WASHINGTON D.C. — US President Donald Trump has issued a fierce warning to Tehran, threatening to “blow the hell out of” Iran if ongoing ceasefire negotiations fall through. Speaking during a comprehensive interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump made it clear that Washington is taking an uncompromising stance on both Iranian state assets and its nuclear capabilities.
“We are very close to a deal, but if negotiations fail, I’m gonna blow the hell out of them,” Trump declared, while firmly rejecting any immediate relief for Tehran. He confirmed that the United States will not unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets or lift economic sanctions as a preliminary gesture. According to Trump, financial concessions will only be on the table “after” an agreement is finalized and “if they behave.”
Furthermore, reports indicate the US Treasury is exploring options to divert those frozen Iranian assets to compensate Gulf states for damages incurred during previous Iranian strikes.
The Nuclear Standoff and the Uranium Ultimatum
A central sticking point in the high-stakes conflict remains Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium. Trump asserted that US intelligence knows exactly where the material is hidden, vowing to neutralize it. “If we make a deal now, we’re friendly, we’ll all go together… We’ll take it out and destroy it,” Trump said, though he kept options open regarding whether American ground troops would be deployed if diplomacy fails.
Call for “Surgical” Focus in Lebanon
Shifting focus to the regional spillover, Trump called for a tactical shift in the fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Amidst ongoing Israeli bombardments in Beirut’s southern suburbs—which Israel claims are retaliatory—Trump advocated for highly targeted operations.
“I’d like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical,” Trump remarked, adding that he wishes to see the Lebanese people “have a better life.”
Importantly, Trump stated he is not demanding that the Lebanon conflict be bundled into the main peace deal with Iran, deliberately separating the two tracks. This stands in direct contrast to Tehran’s strategy, which seeks to link the conflicts. Trump also noted that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has recently built closer ties with Washington, is willing to act as a mediator to help resolve the Lebanese crisis.
Despite a theoretical ceasefire enacted on April 17, hostilities have persisted. The intensified campaign since March has resulted in heavy casualties, with reports citing over 3,560 fatalities in Lebanon alongside dozens of Israeli military casualties.
