As explosions lit up the skies over Isfahan and US warplanes continued their bombardment of Iranian targets, Donald Trump turned his fire on a different target on Tuesday: America's closest allies.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president told countries like the UK they needed to "start learning how to fight for yourself," urging them to build up the "courage" to sail to the strait of Hormuz and simply take fuel for themselves. "Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" he concluded.
As Trump stated (via Truth Social):
All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!
The outburst came as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the coming days would be "decisive" in a conflict now one month old, warning that Iran had "almost nothing" it could militarily do to stop what was coming.
Hegseth insisted talks with Iran remain "active and gaining strength", but left little ambiguity about the backup plan. "We would much prefer to get a deal," he said. "But in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs."