Trump poses ultimatum on Iran, questions whether to reach deal or 'finish them off'

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump presented a stark ultimatum regarding Tehran on Sunday, questioning whether Washington should finalize a diplomatic agreement or pursue total military destruction against Iran.

"Do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off? That's the only question," Trump told Fox News, framing future action as a binary choice between diplomacy and escalated military operations.

Asserting that American forces exert full maritime dominance over the Gulf transit corridor, Trump said: "Remember, we now control the Hormuz Strait. They get nothing. Yes, we get everything." He maintained that commercial activity through the chokepoint exceeds pre-war levels, calling the US Navy's enforcement of the blockade on Iranian ports and shipping "unbelievable."

Trump on Saturday suggested Washington could launch fresh military strikes or secure a comprehensive accord, questioning whether Tehran would honor potential commitments while asserting that either outcome delivers an American victory.

Control over the Strait of Hormuz remains a central friction point in the Iran war, which erupted in late February following joint US-Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire and a memorandum to conclude a final peace deal.

Muhammed Yasin Güngör