Trump warns Iran: ‘At some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer’

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the United States could launch further military strikes against Iran if diplomatic efforts fail, telling supporters at a campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, that he is holding back to avoid further loss of life.

“The only reason why I’m not finished with Iran is 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.” He also claimed that much of the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities had already been destroyed.

Trump said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was working to reach an agreement with Tehran. “He’ll pull it off too,” Trump said, adding that even if negotiations fail, “we’ll do it a little bit tougher way.”