Donald TrumpPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed Iran’s military capability and said Tehran “should wave the white flag of surrender” but is too proud to do so.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran’s military has been reduced to firing “peashooters” and that Tehran privately wants to make a deal despite its public sabre-rattling.
“They play games, but let me just tell you, they want to make a deal. And who wouldn’t, when your military is totally gone?” he said.
Trump heaped praise on the US blockade of Iranian ports in the region. “It’s like a piece of steel. Nobody’s going to challenge the blockade. And I think it’s working out very well,” he said.
When asked what Iran would need to do to violate the ceasefire, Trump said: “Well, you’ll find out, because I’ll let you know … They know what not to do.”
Trump said Iran “should wave the white flag of surrender.”
“If this were a fight, they’d stop it,” said Trump.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said Tuesday its air defences were engaging missiles and drones coming from Iran for the second consecutive day, weeks into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war.
“UAE air defence systems are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats,” the defence ministry said in a statement on X, adding that they had “come from Iran”.
On Monday, an Iranian drone attack caused a fire, injuring three people at an energy installation in Fujairah, close to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that is the focus of tensions between the US and Iran.
The Gulf Arab state’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the attacks were a serious escalation and posed a direct threat to the country’s security, adding that the UAE reserved its “full and legitimate right” to respond.
There was no immediate comment on that from Iran, though earlier its parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had said breaches of the ceasefire by the US and its allies endangered shipping through the strait, which carries a large share of the world’s oil and fertilizer supplies.
“We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet,” he said in a social media post.
Separately, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation to protect commercial ships was temporary and the four-week-old truce was not over. “We’re not looking for a fight,” he told a press conference. “Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tuesday that if the US is serious about diplomacy, it needs to seize the opportunity and show “minimum good faith.”
Baghaei told Iranian state media Press TV that the international community is closely watching the US’ actions and expects a constructive approach.
He said the war against Iran was a “war of choice” by the US, and its consequences have been felt globally.
Baghaei criticized shifting US justifications for the conflict, saying Washington initially cited an “imminent threat,” before denying that stance, while continuing to link the war to Iran’s nuclear program.
He reiterated that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful and that claims to the contrary were used as a pretext for what he described as an unlawful war.
Baghaei said the UN Security Council has failed to respond effectively to acts of aggression, arguing that it has been unable to fulfill its role in maintaining international peace and security.
He said lack of action in cases including the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Iran reflects structural limitations within the system.
“In such conditions, the only guarantee is a state’s own capacity,” he said, emphasizing the need for Iran to maintain strong defensive capabilities to ensure a future agreement is respected.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said Iran’s actions are lawful and justified under domestic and international laws.
He said Iran, as a coastal state, has the right to take measures to protect its national security, particularly after what he described as the use of regional territories by the US and Israel in the war.
Baghaei said Tehran has been in talks with Oman to develop mechanisms ensuring safe passage of vessels through the strait.