Trump says US "kicking Iran's ass," claims war will end soon

At a rally, President Donald Trump said the United States is “kicking Iran’s ass” and reiterated that the war will end “soon, one way or the other.” He also claimed that oil prices are currently lower than during the Biden administration and that prices will come “tumbling down.” According to Breaking The News, Trump alleged that the US is “taking more oil out” of the Strait of Hormuz than before the war due to the blockade of Iran’s ports.

Trump conceded that Iran will “shoot at us a little bit,” but added that the US Navy shoots down Iranian missiles. The remarks come amid ongoing US naval operations. CENTCOM said it has redirected 130 vessels since the start of its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and “disabling” four ships for refusing to comply. CENTCOM also destroyed 13 ships belonging to Iran’s “shadow network” over the past 12 weeks.

CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said, “The US military remains intensely focused on this mission. We will swiftly act against any vessels trying to run the blockade.” The blockade is part of broader tensions. In related news, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the Houthis announced it destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in Sanaa and a storage facility in Sa’dah containing 20 ballistic missiles, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the strikes come amid a counteroffensive by Yemeni government forces against the Houthis. The government claimed it retook control of the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and fighting continues. Meanwhile, Trump also restated his plan for a $5,000 payout to every adult citizen if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, writing on Truth Social, “I look forward to signing those checks.”

Trump has also said he would personally fund what he called “patriotic ads” and use money raised for MAGA Inc. after criticism over government-funded advertisements featuring him. In a Truth Social post, he said he considered the ads a “positive promotion” of the US but decided to change how they would be paid for. The announcement follows criticism from lawmakers over the use of taxpayer funds for ads, which his administration has defended as public service messages.