Trump claims Iran being “put out of business” as war escalates

2026-03-18 - 14:30

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is being rapidly “put out of business” amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.“Remember, for all of those absolute ‘fools’ out there, Iran is considered, by everyone, to be the NUMBER ONE STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR. We are rapidly putting them out of business!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.In an earlier post, he also suggested “finishing off” what he described as the “Iranian Terror State,” while urging countries reliant on the Strait of Hormuz to take responsibility for securing the strategic waterway.His remarks come as tensions continue to intensify following the launch of a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran on Feb. 28.The conflict has reportedly killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as senior figures such as top security official Ali Larijani and Basij forces commander Gholamreza Soleimani.Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, causing casualties, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting global markets and aviation.