Trump suggests ‘finishing off what’s left' of Iran

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested “finishing off” what is left of the “Iranian Terror State” and urged countries relying on the Strait of Hormuz to take responsibility, criticizing “non-responsive” allies.

“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?’ That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

His remarks came as the tensions in the region have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

Tehran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, forcing Trump to urge US allies, as well as China, to help reopen the strategic waterway.