Trump on Iran: We hit them very hard, maybe we'll hit them harder, maybe we won't

In his first speech in his current term at a military academy graduation ceremony, Trump spoke to graduates of the US Coast Guard Academy yesterday about the war against Iran, which is now in its 12th week, describing military engagement in the "hottest country in the world" as a sign of US success.

After threatening to relaunch strikes on Iran this week as talks with Tehran appear to be stalling and a fragile ceasefire is faltering, Trump said on Monday he was giving Iran a few more days because "serious negotiations" were suddenly underway.

He did not provide details today, and previously he gave up on carrying out threats to Iran, citing breakthroughs in negotiations that, however, did not materialize, at least not publicly, writes TV MSN News.

In addition, Trump told reporters today that he was "in no rush" to reach an agreement to end the war due to political concerns and the November US congressional elections.

He praised the US blockade of Iranian ports: "They call the blockade the 'Iron Wall,' you can't get through it. Nobody breaks the blockade, nobody!" he said in a speech to graduates.

"We told the ships that tried to pass: 'Don't proceed any further, we will shoot!'" he shouted.

Reporters reported that Trump gave a "theatrical performance" in front of the graduates, presenting a hypothetical case of a military and merchant ship meeting, imitating the way Iranian captains speak, mocking them by claiming that ships "turn on their heels in panic and flee", while in front of them was an American warship with "the most magnificent warning loudspeakers" and a "young, handsome captain".

While the president celebrated the blockade as an absolute triumph, independent reports from naval intelligence paint a more complicated picture of the waterway, the media notes.

Although U.S. Central Command successfully intercepted and diverted dozens of ships during the blockade enforcement campaign, several Iranian-linked ships and oil tankers from the Russian “shadow fleet” successfully slipped through the net undetected.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said earlier today that 26 merchant ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, "with the coordination" of its Navy.

Trump did not even address these operational gaps, but instead focused on a harsh ultimatum regarding Tehran's nuclear program.

Trump claimed that the Islamic Republic's leadership "desperately wants" an agreement to end the war because its conventional defense forces are "broken to the core."

"Everything is gone. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Almost everything," Trump boasted, reiterating his basic demand that Iran must completely surrender its enriched uranium reserves.

The president concluded by warning that the administration was prepared to launch an immediate offensive if diplomats failed to secure signatures on the final agreement.

“The only question is, are we going to go and finish it? Are they going to sign the document?” Trump said. “We hit them very hard. We may have to hit them harder — but we may not. Let’s see what happens,” he said vaguely.