Trump threatens to 'give Iran the hammer' despite claims of military victory

• Trump threatened further military action against Iran, saying the US may eventually have to “give them the hammer.”
• He claimed he was holding back to avoid further casualties, saying he wanted to “save all those lives.”
• Trump defended the US decision to strike Iran, saying: “We had to hit Iran, and that's what we did.”

US President Donald Trump threatened further military action against Iran in his rally on Sunday, saying he has so far held back because he wants to avoid additional casualties, while insisting that the conflict will end “very soon” one way or another.

“The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can,” Trump said. “But at some point, we're going to have to give them the hammer.”

The remarks signal the possibility of renewed escalation despite Trump's repeated claims that Iran has already been defeated militarily and financially.

At a campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump also defended the decision to attack Iran, saying: “We had to hit Iran, and that's what we did.” He claimed Washington had defeated Tehran both militarily and financially, saying: “We defeated Iran financially and militarily.”

Trump reiterated his prediction that the conflict would soon be over, saying: “The war in Iran will end very soon, one way or another,” and that it would be brought to an end “very, very soon.”

His latest remarks come amid mounting uncertainty over whether Washington will resume military operations against Iran. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the war could end through an agreement or further military action, while maintaining that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains his central objective.

He also spoke of the possibility of renewed strikes, despite his claims that US operations had already severely degraded Iran's military capabilities.

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