There will either be a deal with Iran or US will ‘finish the job’: Trump

US President Donald Trump issued a strong warning during an Oval Office press briefing on July 6, 2026, stating that the United States will either reach a definitive diplomatic agreement with Iran or use its military capabilities to “finish the job”.

The comments follow the conclusion of indirect US-Iran negotiations that ended without a public breakthrough, despite a 60-day ceasefire designed to carve out a diplomatic resolution to stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

1. Key Statements by President Trump

While emphasizing that he prefers a negotiated diplomatic settlement over an escalating war, Trump detailed the potential scale of a US military response if talks ultimately collapse:

• The Core Ultimatum: “We’re either going to make a deal, or we’re going to finish the job. OK. And it won’t be tough to finish the job”.
• Protecting the Population: Trump added, “I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people”.
• Infrastructure Warning: The President claimed the US military could systematically cripple Iran’s energy and power infrastructure in a single afternoon. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply… all of those big plants that they’ve built”.

2. Clarification on Regime Change

Despite the aggressive posturing regarding Iran’s infrastructure, Trump explicitly walked back past statements regarding forcing a political transition in Tehran. He clarified to reporters that the active objective of the US-led operations was to curb military and nuclear capabilities, stating, “The goal was never to collapse the regime”.

This marks a shift from his rhetoric during the initial phases of the conflict—which erupted following joint US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28—where he had publicly called on the Iranian populace to seize control of their government.

3. Contextual Flurry: Khamenei’s Funeral & Recent Tensions

Trump’s latest ultimatums come during a highly volatile diplomatic window:

• The Defiant Funeral: The remarks follow the week-long state funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial February airstrikes. Western intelligence noted that rather than projecting a fractured front from the war, the mass funeral ceremonies showcased a deeply unified and defiant public stance from Tehran.
• The “One Shot” Interview: Prior to the briefing, Trump told Axios that the US had the technical capability to eliminate Iran’s surviving leadership in “one shot” while they gathered at the funeral, but refrained because “then we would have nobody to negotiate with”.
• The Counter-Threats: Iranian officials hit back at the comments immediately. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed Trump’s infrastructure claims as “delusional,” warning that “Iranians are unfamiliar with the language of threats” and would respond in kind if not spoken to with respect.

Meanwhile, physical tensions in the region remain elevated, with reports emerging that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missile strikes damaging two commercial vessels transiting the critical Strait of Hormuz choking point.