President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 21, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. military is “locked and loaded” just one day after he announced he was considering a massive attack against the Iranian regime.
While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on July 24, Trump was asked whether he had made a decision regarding larger strikes against Iran.
“No, I haven’t,” Trump said. “Look, we’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by for maybe the obvious reason.”
The president said the U.S. military could take its recent strikes against the regime to a “much higher level” if necessary.
“We’re prepared to do that, as you know,” he said, adding, “We’re locked and loaded and ready to go.”
On July 23, Trump told Axios that he was considering a massive attack against Iran that would be “bigger than ever before.” He added that he was close to making a decision regarding the attack.
Trump reiterated on July 24 that he believes Iran is very serious about the ongoing negotiations.
When asked who was involved in the negotiations with Iran, Trump said “sort of everybody,” before specifically mentioning Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump told reporters that despite being an important deal, the negotiation terms were very simple.
“They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “If they have even the thought of a nuclear weapon, we will just continue to go at much higher levels.”
While Trump indicated that the U.S. military is prepared to intensify strikes, he also said he is not in a hurry to do so.
“Despite what everyone says about the election, I’m not in a hurry. … We have to do it right,” he said.
On Friday, Iran said it carried out missile and drone attacks against U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. The strikes came after the U.S. military launched its own strikes against Iran for the 13th consecutive night.
The United States and Iran have exchanged military strikes following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding in early July after Iran launched attacks on commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The temporary peace deal had led to a pause in the conflict that started when the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury in late February.
On July 14, the U.S. military reinstated its blockade against ships navigating to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
Trump described the U.S. military blockade of Iran as an “iron wall” on Friday and said nothing has been able to get through it.
Iran has retaliated against the recent U.S. military strikes by repeatedly launching strikes against U.S. bases in the Middle East. The strikes resulted in the deaths of four U.S. soldiers last weekend.
The president attended a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on July 22 to honor the fallen soldiers.
