No one expected them to fight back’: Trump praises Iran’s ‘tremendous power’ as Middle East war deepens

United States President Donald Trump has admitted he was surprised by the scale of Iran’s retaliation in the ongoing Middle East conflict, even as he acknowledged the country’s military strength, describing it as a nation of “great” and “tremendous” power.

In a speech delivered today ahead of a board meeting for the rebranded Trump Kennedy Center, Trump emphasized Iran’s historical threat and the necessity of the strikes to prevent catastrophic escalation.

He said, “You can’t let the most violent, vicious country in the last 50 years have a nuclear weapon because the Middle East will be gone.

Israel will go first without question, and they’ll certainly take a shot at us before we get our act together and say we got to take them out. You can’t let Iran, who’s truly a nation of great terror and power.”

He portrayed Iran as having built tremendous power through thousands of missiles and drones, which he claimed U.S. and Israeli forces have now largely eliminated.

Over 7,000 targets have been struck, mostly military and commercial. Ballistic missile launches and drone attacks have fallen by 90 to 95 percent.

The Iranian air force and navy are gone, more than 100 naval vessels have been sunk, and missile and drone manufacturing plants have been repeatedly hit.

Leaders have been removed in multiple waves, leaving uncertainty about who remains in charge.

Trump tied this to 47 years of Iranian terror since the 1979 revolution, stating the U.S. and Israel are finally doing what should have been done many years ago.

He argued that no prior president acted decisively, despite knowing the risks, and that allowing nuclear capability would erase the Middle East and threaten the United States.

He also addressed security in the Strait of Hormuz, noting Iran’s past use of the chokepoint as an economic weapon through mines or small attacks.

With mine-laying ships destroyed and the area under heavy pounding, he said reopening is imminent but requires allied participation to deter residual threats, warning that reluctance could prompt reevaluation of longstanding U.S. protections.

On potential negotiations, Trump said Iran is signaling interest in a deal but claimed their leadership is decimated and disinformation-heavy, including fake images of destroyed U.S. ships or burning cities. He expressed skepticism about who exactly the United States would be negotiating with, given reports of dead leaders and uncertainty around the Ayatollah’s son, with rumors of death or severe injury.

The comments come in the third week of intensified operations, with Trump predicting rapid drops in oil prices, inflation, and threats once the campaign concludes.

Iran has not publicly indicated any interest in negotiations to end the conflict, maintaining its position despite ongoing U.S. and Israeli operations.