Trump says US 'winning big time' against Tehran as Netanyahu prepares to unveil new Iran intel

Operation Economic Fury could eventually inflict more damage on Iran than the U.S. military campaign, Axios reported Monday, citing officials who said intelligence indicates the country's financial strain is worsening.

According to the outlet, President Donald Trump said he decided Friday to suspend military strikes after countries mediating between the United States and Iran, along with other Middle Eastern nations, urged him to give negotiations another chance.

"Everyone involved in contacts with Iran asked me, 'Don't shoot,'" Trump said, adding that he believes the Iranians want to reach a deal.

"The Iranians want to stop being bombed, and they want money," one official said. "But that's almost in reverse order. They really want the money first."

"Intelligence is picking up that the Iranians are complaining they can't pay their fighters," the official added.

"Why? Because of the financial pressures. Because of Treasury. Because of what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is doing."

"They're in danger of runs on banks. There are gasoline shortages in this giant, oil-rich country," the official said.

"They're more scared of Treasury than the War Department."

"They're begging Steve and Jared for cash. They're desperate for it," another official said, referring to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. 

Oil prices fell sharply Monday after signs of de-escalation between the United States and Iran eased concerns that the conflict would further disrupt global energy supplies, according to Reuters.

Benchmark crude prices dropped 7% to 9%, showing their steepest one-day decline in more than two months, the outlet said.

Brent crude fell below $90 per barrel to around $88 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) lost much of last week's gains.

Negotiators from Iran and Oman are working to reach an agreement to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Citing sources, the outlet said the talks follow meetings between Iranian and Omani officials in Tehran over the weekend.

Iran and Oman, whose coastlines border the Strait of Hormuz, are continuing negotiations on measures to safely restore maritime traffic.

According to the report, sources said a successful agreement could create the conditions for Tehran and Washington to continue negotiations to end the conflict.

One proposal under discussion would reopen the strait's central shipping lane, or the "middle passage," which commercial vessels have largely avoided since Feb. 28, when Operation Epic Fury began, the report said.

Ships have been transiting through alternative routes closer to Iran's coast in the north or near Oman's coast in the south.

The central passage is believed to contain sea mines allegedly laid by Iran and would need to be cleared before it could safely reopen.

Allegations that Russia provided Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf are "to be expected," retired Navy Capt. Brent Sadler warned Monday following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim that Moscow is helping Tehran identify potential targets.

Sadler made the remarks after President Donald Trump was asked about the Ukrainian leader's claim aboard Air Force One on Monday and told reporters, "We'll find out about it," adding that he would "ask Putin about it."

"Those allegations and suspicions date back to early in this conflict with Iran, and given that our national interests conflict with both Beijing and Moscow over the fate of Iran and this regime, I think this is to be expected," Sadler said on "America Reports."

"But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences."

"But this is not really a surprising development in and of itself. But what comes next is determining what the consequences for Moscow and Beijing are. That would be appropriate," he added.

Yemen's foreign minister said Monday that the Iran-backed Houthi movement is attempting to replicate Tehran's strategy in the Strait of Hormuz to gain control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to Reuters.

Afrah al-Zouba said the Houthis had been emboldened by what she said was an international response that was not sufficiently robust after years of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters.

The Houthis have targeted commercial vessels and military ships in the Red Sea since late 2023, saying their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.

The militant group also announced a naval blockade and a "maritime embargo" July 20 targeting Saudi Arabian vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. 

President Donald Trump is threatening to strike Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility — a site the United States previously left untouched while bombing the country’s other major nuclear sites, raising new questions about what may have changed.

Estimated to lie beneath at least 100 meters of rock near Iran's damaged Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, Pickaxe was designed to replace an above-ground plant capable of assembling roughly 6,000 advanced centrifuges each year before it was destroyed in 2020.

Iran said the replacement would be larger, more modern and built "in the heart of the mountain."

Analysts believe the tunnels could eventually hold a centrifuge assembly line, an enrichment plant or equipment used in certain nuclear weaponization activities.

Yet the administration has not said whether it has confirmed that centrifuges were moved inside — or why a site left untouched during earlier attacks now warrants a strike. Military experts also disagree over whether airstrikes could destroy Pickaxe’s interior or merely seal its entrances temporarily.

The same depth that could protect Iran’s nuclear infrastructure may place Pickaxe’s main chambers beyond the reliable destructive reach of America’s most powerful conventional bunker-busting weapon.

Bombing its exposed entrances could deny Iran access without destroying the facility or anything stored inside.

Trump said Tuesday that the United States would probably strike the area "pretty soon" and "very heavily."

This is an excerpt from a report by Fox News' Morgan Phillips. 

President Donald Trump on Monday defended Washington's approach to Iran, saying the U.S. is "winning big time" against the Islamic Republic and insisting Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

"We're making this country safe because we're not going to let lunatics have a nuclear weapon," Trump said at a General Motors event in Milford, Michigan.

"We're winning big time with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we're ensuring that they never have a nuclear weapon," he added.

Trump said the rationale behind his policy was "simple."

"When somebody comes up and says, 'Why are we doing this?' Just say, 'Because we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon.' It's very simple. It's all you have to say."

He added, "If you understood the power of nuclear weapons, you'd understand exactly what I was saying."

An Iranian lawmaker on Monday called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "clown" and urged Tehran to recognize Russian control over occupied Ukrainian territories, as tensions between Iran and Ukraine escalated.

The remarks by Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, calling the alleged strike a violation of the U.N. Charter.

Ukraine has said it targeted a Russian warship and vessels that Kyiv alleges were transporting Iranian-linked military cargo across the Caspian Sea.

"For years, diplomats have tried to prove that Iran has been neutral in the Ukraine-Russia war, but now the Ukrainian clown has responded by attacking an Iranian ship," Rezaei wrote in a post on X.

"While seriously punishing Zelenskyy's supporters, it is time to recognize the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, as Russian territory," he added.

President Donald Trump on Monday declared that Iran is now "talking to us about making a deal," while saying the U.S. has crippled Tehran's military before stating past U.S. policy meant Iran viewed America as "a stupid country" that could be "bribed."

Speaking at a General Motors event in Milford, Michigan, Trump argued that Iran's military has been severely degraded, comparing its decline to that of Venezuela.

"Well, the same thing is happening in Iran. People just don't see it," Trump said. "We've destroyed their navy. We've destroyed their air force. We've destroyed their leadership. We've destroyed their anti-aircraft weaponry."

He also said Iran's military production had been significantly weakened.

"Their drones are being made at a rate of about 7%. We destroyed most of their drone manufacturing capability, their missile manufacturing capability," Trump said.

Trump said negotiations between Washington and Tehran are underway.

"And right now they're talking to us about making a deal," he said, describing the talks as "very friendly negotiations."

The president contrasted the current approach with previous administrations, saying Iran had spent decades exploiting the United States.

"For 47 to 50 years they have been talking and all they do is tap everyone along," Trump said. "They were the bully of the Middle East and they were the bully of us."

Referring to the Obama administration, Trump said Iran believed it could "bribe them" and had concluded, "What a stupid country this is."

"You've got to beat them, and we're beating the hell out of them," Trump added.

At least 18 Gaza health care workers previously identified as doctors, nurses, paramedics or hospital staff have since been identified by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as members of their armed wings, The Times of Israel reported Monday.

The findings, the outlet said, were based on obituaries published following the Gaza war.

Among those named was Mohammed Akram al-Kafarna, who was mourned by international nursing organizations after being killed in an Israeli strike in September 2025.

Hamas later identified al-Kafarna as a fighter in its Northern Gaza Brigade and published a photo of him in military uniform carrying a rifle, according to the report.

Israel has long accused Hamas of embedding fighters in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, the outlet said.

Bahrain announced Monday that it would hold a joint military exercise with armed forces from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states from Tuesday to Thursday.

According to Iran International, the Bahrain Defense Force said the drills, called the "Bahrain Shield" exercise, would "improve combat performance levels" and strengthen "the cooperation framework and joint military coordination to face various challenges."

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are members of the GCC, but the military did not specify which countries would attend.

Pakistan on Monday condemned attacks targeting Saudi Arabia after air defenses intercepted drones launched from Iraq by Iran-backed armed groups.

Pakistan's Foreign Office described the attacks as "provocative" and warned they posed "a grave threat to peace and stability across the entire region."

Islamabad also reaffirmed its "strong and unwavering support" for Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peace and prosperity.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry had said the drones were launched from Iraq and were intercepted before they could strike oil facilities in its Eastern Province and Riyadh.

Separately, Iraq said it would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against neighboring countries.

According to Reuters, the Iraqi prime minister's media office said Baghdad is committed to preventing any group from using Iraqi territory to threaten regional security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Iran has already attacked Ukraine by supplying Russia with military assets as tensions between Kyiv and Tehran escalated following an alleged Ukrainian strike in the Caspian Sea.

Speaking during a visit to the United Kingdom, Zelenskyy argued that Tehran had became directly involved in the war early on by providing drones, technology and production licenses to Russia.

"Iran, from the first year of the war, gave a new base, new technology to Russia," Zelenskyy told Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay.

"It was Shahed drones. They gave thousands of these drones in the first year of the war. Then they gave licenses."

Zelenskyy also said Iran had already entered the conflict by arming Moscow.

"What did they do? Did they attack us? I think yes. So they already did it. The war was already underway. Effectively, they are attacking you," he said.

"We have to be cautious. We have to do everything not to open a new front in any way, but we have to be honest."

"Iranians and North Koreans already attacked us," he added.

Zelenskyy said he hoped Iran would not expand its support for Russia but warned Ukraine needed to remain prepared.

"Yes, I hope that they will not increase these attacks, but we have to be ready for everything," he said.

"We can't trust these people because, at the very, very beginning, without any messages or any kind of escalation from our side, Iranians gave weapons, North Koreans gave weapons — drones, missiles and artillery rounds."

Zelenskyy previously said Ukrainian forces struck vessels in the Caspian Sea on July 25 that Kyiv alleges were transporting Iranian military cargo to Russia.

The alleged attack prompted sharp warnings from Tehran, with Iranian officials saying an explosion aboard a vessel killed one sailor and wounded another.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the incident "cannot go unanswered." 

Ford Motor Co. has joined the competition to build the U.S. Army’s next tactical truck, pursuing what it describes as its largest military contract opportunity since the Cold War, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The automaker has secured a Defense Department contract to produce three prototypes based on its F-Series Super Duty pickups. The battlefield vehicles are expected to provide troop mobility while also serving as mobile power sources.

Ford will compete with crosstown rival General Motors, whose ISV-Heavy is based on the Chevrolet Silverado HD and is already undergoing Army field testing. GM unveiled its vehicle in 2024.

The news comes as President Donald Trump is in Michigan to speak at GM plant.

Ford said it looks forward to “delivering several incredibly capable vehicle prototypes” demonstrating what the company can provide to soldiers.

The competition comes as the Pentagon presses commercial manufacturers to help modernize U.S. military equipment and expand an industrial base strained by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

President Donald Trump defended War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war, rejecting suggestions that he was frustrated with the Pentagon chief’s advice.

“I think he’s done a great job,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to a Michigan event.

Trump claimed U.S. strikes had “pretty much destroyed” Iran’s military and forced Tehran to seek negotiations through both intermediaries and direct outreach.

“Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us,” Trump continued.

“The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them very hard. We’ll see what happens. There’s a chance we could make a deal.”

The United States could become involved against the Iran-backed Houthis if the group creates new problems, as Washington works with Saudi Arabia amid the Iran war, President Donald Trump warned Monday.

“We’re dealing with Saudi Arabia, and it’s a problem that we had a while ago, and we knocked the hell out of it: We didn’t have any problems with the Houthis after that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to an event in Michigan.

“We’re not involved with that, but we may — you know, if they’re a problem, we’ll probably have to get involved.”

Asked whether Saudi Arabia had indicated that it would join the Abraham Accords, Trump said the subject had not come up.

“We haven’t talked about that,” he said.

Israel would not survive without American support, President Donald Trump said Monday, arguing that his military and diplomatic actions prevented the country from being destroyed.

“We’re being very nice to a lot of countries that would not survive without us,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to an event in Michigan.

“And you know who wouldn’t survive without us? Israel.”

Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was expected to meet with him, would confirm his assessment.

“If I didn’t get involved and if I didn’t blow up those nuclear — essentially soon-to-be nuclear weapons — to dust, as I call it, Israel would have been terminated,” he continued.

Trump also credited his decision to withdraw from the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement, claiming Israel would have faced destruction “months ago” or “years ago” without his intervention.

President Donald Trump clarified the weekend reporting claiming the Pentagon is concerned about dismissing U.S. weapons stockpiles post President Joe Biden giving it away to Ukraine.

“We have a lot of ammunition, different types,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Michigan for an event. “You know, Biden gave a lot to Ukraine. And so we’re building that up.”

Trump insisted the U.S. has ample supplies of most weapons to continue its assault on Iran, including what he called “mid-level” ammunition, but conceded that inventories of more advanced systems could be stronger.

“For some of the more sophisticated stuff, we certainly would like to have more," Trump said. "Biden gave a lot of it away.”

Military production is accelerating, Trump added, singling out Patriot missile systems and claiming major defense contractors are expanding manufacturing capacity.

“The Patriots in particular are being built,” Trump said. “Every one of our contractors is building four to five plants right now.”

Despite the concerns about the weapons stockpile replenishment, Trump said the U.S. remains “in very good shape,” outside some advanced weapons.

“When I left, the cupboards were full,” Trump said. “As soon as I left, they gave a lot of it to Ukraine — numbers that nobody’s ever seen before.”

President Donald Trump warned Iran that U.S. attacks would resume if negotiations fail, saying Tehran sought talks only after its military was battered by American forces.

“I think there’s a good chance that something could happen,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Michigan for an event Monday. “And if it does, good. If it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

Trump said Iran requested a meeting through intermediaries and directly after coming under sustained U.S. pressure, a claim that was rejected by other leaders in Iran.

“The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them very hard,” he said. “Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us.”

The president claimed Iran had asked the United States to halt its attacks, recounting appeals of “Please don’t, drop, don’t shoot” over several nights.

Trump said he was willing to give diplomacy time but made clear that the pause was conditional.

“I have plenty of time. Plenty of time,” he said. “We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens.”

Later during the brief press gaggle, Trump said Iran had “taken a beating” and “they asked us very nicely, ‘Please stop. Let’s meet.’

"And that’s where we are right now," Trump continued, saying he will "see what happens.

"If we don’t make a deal, we go back to the same thing.”