Trump enters 'revenge mode' as Iran threatens to kill US soldiers, Netanyahu heads to Washington

Trump's patience wears thin

Nearly five months into a conflict he had expected to resolve in weeks, US President Donald Trump is losing patience with Iran. During a recent Oval Office meeting, he unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against Iranian leaders, calling them "bastards" and "crazy," administration sources told the Wall Street Journal. The president has entered what aides describe as "revenge mode," increasingly convinced that only military force can bring Tehran to the negotiating table. On 24 July, he told reporters that Iran is "not yet ready to conclude an agreement" and that he has not decided whether to launch a major attack. "We can continue doing what we are doing, destroying piece by piece. Or we can make a deal: we are talking, but they are not ready yet," Trump said.

Iran is not yet ready to conclude an agreement. I am not in a hurry. I have not decided whether to launch a major attack. We can continue doing what we are doing, destroying piece by piece. Or we can make a deal: we are talking, but they are not ready yet.

Iran's military threats and nuclear ambitions

Iranian commanders responded with direct threats. Ali Abdollahi, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency headquarters, warned that for every Iranian citizen killed, an American soldier would be "sent to hell." He added: "We have prepared direct tickets to hell for you." Tehran has also threatened to strike Tel Aviv. The New York Times reported that US intelligence assesses Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as more eager than his father to acquire a nuclear weapon, adding a nuclear dimension to the standoff.

For the death of every Iranian citizen, an American soldier will be sent to hell. We have prepared direct tickets to hell for you.

Economic and political toll

The war is exacting a price at home. At least 18 American soldiers have been killed, four of them in recent days. Rising gasoline prices are eroding Trump's approval ratings, and his advisors fear the conflict could sink Republican chances in the November midterm elections. Trump, however, appears less worried about the electoral fallout than his aides and congressional Republicans. During a White House meeting on fuel costs, he urged pressure on oil companies and retailers to bring prices down before voters head to the polls.

Diplomatic maneuvering and Netanyahu's visit

Despite the bellicose rhetoric, Trump insists that diplomatic channels remain open. He also defended China and Russia, saying President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin had personally assured him they were not arming Iran. "If they were, the consequences would be serious, it would not be in their interest," he said, contradicting US intelligence reports that suggest some level of assistance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Washington on Monday, 27 July. His office confirmed he will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday and attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Asset seizure and legal pushback

Trump announced that damages to ships from Iranian attacks would be compensated using Iranian funds controlled by the United States. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the plan, calling it "the misappropriation of another nation's assets for future unrelated claims" and warning it "sets an explosive precedent." The exchange highlights the financial and legal dimensions of a conflict that shows no sign of abating.

The misappropriation of another nation's assets for future unrelated claims sets an explosive precedent.