Trump Spares Iran's Bridges and Power Plants, Warns Rebuild Would Take a Decade

Trump told reporters in Florida before flying back to Washington that he could level Iran's bridges and power plants right now if he wanted to. He just doesn't see the point. Rebuilding them, he said, would take 10 to 12 years and put an 'awfully big burden on the people.' So the infrastructure stays standing, at least for now.

Instead, the president pointed to Operation Iron Gate, the newly announced push to choke off Iran's overland supply. 'That means nothing comes in by land, and as you know, the naval blockade ... nothing comes in by water,' he said. He didn't offer details on how the US plans to sever Iran's inland routes, according to Breaking The News.

The task force got its formal rollout on Sunday, when Trump declared on Truth Social that Iron Gate is 'in full force and effect.' US Central Command had already announced the unit, tasked with stopping Tehran from moving advanced weapons, dual-use technologies and other sanctioned goods across its land borders and the Caspian Sea. Trump paired it with what he called history's greatest naval blockade.

Trump also repeated his claim that Washington 'saved' the Middle East and Israel by hitting Iran and dismantling its nuclear program, arguing that a nuclear-armed Iran would have threatened countries far beyond the region. He defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing impeachment calls but who Trump says was vital to the Iran campaign.

Elsewhere, Trump kept up pressure on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the stalled Gaza peace plan, Axios reported. The blueprint calls for Hamas's full disarmament, Gaza's demilitarization and a handover of governance to a Palestinian technocratic administration. It has sat frozen for months over Israel's parliamentary elections, though the US wants movement no matter who forms the next government, the outlet said.