Trump’s Ultimate Ultimatum: ‘Make a Deal or Finish the Job’
In a major escalation of rhetorical warfare, United States President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran from the Oval Office, asserting that the US will win the ongoing conflict “one way or the other.” Speaking to reporters while Iran is in the midst of a massive, multi-day state funeral for its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump emphasized that his administration is prepared to take decisive military steps if indirect diplomatic talks fail to deliver immediate results.
“We’re either going to make a deal, or we’re going to finish the job,” Trump stated bluntly. “And it won’t be tough to finish the job.” Despite his aggressive stance, the US President indicated a preference for a diplomatic resolution, noting the human cost involved. “I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people. We can knock out their electricity and power-generating plants in the small part of an afternoon. And they know that,” he added.
A Historic Gathering Amid a Fragile Ceasefire
Trump’s fiery statements arrived during a temporary pause in direct hostilities and indirect peace talks in Doha, Qatar. The pause was granted to accommodate the extensive, week-long funeral procession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Millions of black-clad mourners have flooded the streets of Tehran, Qom, and other major cities to pay their respects, creating an atmosphere of intense nationalist fervor and defiance rather than submission.
Commenting on the gathering of Iran’s entire political and clerical leadership for the funeral rites, Trump claimed that the US military had the strategic capacity to neutralize the regime’s top figures simultaneously. “They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” Trump remarked during an interview with Axios. He also expressed skepticism regarding the public display of grief in Iran, suggesting some of the public mourning could be “fake tears”—a comment that drew sharp condemnation from Iranian diplomats abroad.
Nuclear ‘Dust’ and Economic Crippling
The core focus of any potential future agreement remains Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and regional posture. President Trump confirmed that the United States intends to completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities, explicitly stating that Tehran will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon under his watch. “We’re going to be getting the, as I call it, dust; the enriched material—nuclear dust,” Trump asserted, while clarifying that Washington is not seeking a regime change in Tehran, but a total change in behavior.
Trump also highlighted the severe economic toll that American sanctions and military blockades have extracted from Iran’s economy. He noted that global oil prices remain remarkably stable despite the active theater of war, limiting Tehran’s financial leverage. “They don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money,” Trump noted, underscoring that the US retains absolute economic leverage going into any future negotiations.
Iran’s Defiant Pushback and Vows of Revenge
Tehran has reacted with fierce indignation to Trump’s public warnings. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed the US President’s military threats as “delusional,” warning that Iranians do not respond well to intimidation. “Speak to the Iranian people with respect, otherwise we will respond in another language,” Zolqadr stated via state media channels.
On the streets of Qom and Tehran, the public mood remains explosive. Mourners carrying pictures of the late Supreme Leader have actively chanted slogans against the United States and Israel, demanding swift military retaliation rather than diplomatic concessions. Iranian military commanders have also warned that any security breach or external strike during the state funeral proceedings would trigger an immediate, devastating response.
