President Trump vows to target power plants, bridges if Iran doesn't make a deal

[0:00] President Trump says U.S. strikes will continue in Iran with each day getting worse than the last. [0:05] He says he's saving energy targets for last and did reiterate that Iran has no choice but to make a deal. [0:12] Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yanks is at the White House where he spoke exclusively with President Trump earlier today about his plans for the Middle East. [0:19] Good evening, Trey. [0:20] Yeah, Brett, good evening. [0:21] President Trump told Fox News that strikes against Iran will continue tonight and expand next week if the Iranians are unwilling to make a deal. [0:30] Here's more of our exclusive interview from the White House. [0:35] Mr. President, thank you for speaking with Fox News. [0:37] Thank you. Thank you very much. [0:39] We have seen extensive U.S. strikes against Iran for three consecutive nights now. [0:45] This comes after the Iranians attacked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. [0:49] How would you describe what is happening at this moment? [0:52] Has the war resumed? [0:54] Well, I guess you could define it any way you want, but certainly we're beating them up really badly. [0:59] They have to be beat up. [1:00] We're hitting them very, very hard. [1:02] We're hitting every single thing that they have along the shore, along the waterfront. [1:08] You know, if you look at the Strait of Hormuz, it's now—we're looking—we're finding it hard to find where they have anything. [1:17] We have to stop it. [1:18] We have to keep it open. [1:20] I was going to charge a fee, but instead they'd rather spend a lot of money in the United States, [1:24] which, frankly, is better because I don't like the idea of a fee. [1:27] It's got to remain free because otherwise others will do the same thing. [1:31] But I think we've made tremendous progress. [1:33] So your objectives are to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, [1:37] to keep the Strait open, and to degrade the Iranian military. [1:42] Can those objectives be completed in an air campaign alone, or does this require a ground component? [1:47] Well, I think they're completed now, honestly. [1:50] If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild what they have. [1:54] The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength, [1:58] and the only strength is military strength, and that's what we've done. [2:02] And, I mean, literally two days ago we had a deal, and then they broke it at the last moment. [2:08] They broke it. [2:08] Will these strikes continue? [2:10] They'll continue until I say it's enough. [2:14] I mean, they'll continue. [2:15] They've been there. [2:17] You know, the word the military likes to use is degrade. [2:20] They've been degraded to a very low level. [2:23] And they have fight. [2:24] You know, it's like a great boxer. [2:26] You think you have him beat, and then all of a sudden he comes back, and he gives you a shot. [2:32] They have some fight left, but they don't have much. [2:34] And their weapon degrading has been incredible at a level. [2:38] Nobody thought it was possible to do it this quickly. [2:41] You posted today on True Social comments that you made back in 1988 about Carg Island. [2:47] And at the time you said, one bullet shot at one of our men or ships, [2:52] and I'd do a number on Carg Island, I'd go in and take it. [2:56] Yeah. [2:56] Do you still intend to take Carg Island? [2:58] So, I can't say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish, right? [3:01] But it would be nice to make a little headlines, but it would be foolish. [3:04] But I'll tell you about Carg Island. [3:06] So, we've already... [3:08] Are you ruling out a ground campaign in a limited capacity? [3:11] I don't want to say that either, but I would say no, if I thought it was appropriate. [3:16] Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground [3:20] campaign for us. [3:22] But we already hit Carg Island, as you know, twice, even three times. [3:27] I said, hit everything but the oil. [3:28] Just leave that little area from 25 yards out. [3:31] Leave that little area. [3:32] Don't touch the oil. [3:32] Because I don't want that in terms of the world economy. [3:37] It's a, you know, it's a chunk of the world economy. [3:39] So, we haven't hit that. [3:40] At some point, we could. [3:42] But I think it's unlikely. [3:43] As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, [3:48] I would do that. [3:50] Do you anticipate that the strikes we're seeing this week against Iran will expand? [3:54] Are you considering hitting energy targets or other locations inside of Iran? [4:00] I'll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets, yeah. [4:05] But we're going to hit them very hard tonight. [4:08] We're going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. [4:10] We're going to hit them very hard the night after. [4:13] And then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. [4:20] Next week comes the bridges. [4:22] We're going to knock out all their power plants. [4:24] We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate. [4:28] Do you believe the Iranians are serious about making a deal? [4:31] I think they have no choice. [4:34] Why haven't they yet? [4:34] I think if I didn't do the way I'm doing, they would never make a deal. [4:39] They would have never made a deal with Obama. [4:41] That deal was the worst. [4:42] What they did sign was a worthless piece of paper. [4:45] What they signed, what they signed with Obama was a worthless piece of paper that was a road to a nuclear weapon. [4:51] And what I have is a wall. [4:54] There will be no nuclear weapon. [4:56] I'll never sign. [4:57] And when you listed the three things, by far the most important is they will not have a nuclear weapon. [5:04] Take me back to the moment before February 28th when you made the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury. [5:11] Was there a specific piece of intelligence that made you decide to launch this operation? [5:18] Well, it was specific in the sense that it just never stops and they're going to go forward. [5:22] And they wanted a nuclear weapon. [5:24] We knew they wanted a nuclear weapon. [5:26] If they have a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn't be here. [5:29] Look. [5:30] They said they didn't want a nuclear weapon. [5:32] Well, they say that. [5:33] Everything they say is a lie. [5:34] They lie. [5:35] I've never seen anything like it. [5:36] They also come out and they'll tell you we never discussed nuclear and we're in a room for five hours. [5:41] That's all we discussed. [5:42] And they'll walk out and say nuclear was not discussed. [5:45] Everything was discussed. [5:47] Ad nauseam. [5:49] They were going to have a nuclear weapon within two weeks. [5:53] Had we not done the B-2 bombers, had we not bombed their nuclear sites, their three nuclear sites. [6:00] And there's another one we're looking at right now, as you know. [6:02] We're looking at pickaxe because somebody said there's a little activity. [6:07] You know, we have cameras, Space Force. [6:09] We have cameras that are, they can read the badge. [6:12] They can read your name, probably Mohammed. [6:14] They can read your name on a badge from space. [6:18] And every area of pickaxe, but the other three are covered. [6:23] But specifically on pickaxe. [6:23] If they make any move, they make any move, we immediately go and do whatever we have to do. [6:29] But they haven't. [6:30] They were so decimated. [6:31] Some weapons experts say that the United States doesn't have the ability to strike deep enough with these bunker buster bombs at Pickaxe Mountain. [6:40] They can go deep. [6:41] We have good stuff. [6:44] Nobody knows about pickaxe. [6:46] By the way, nobody knows if they even are doing anything in pickaxe. [6:50] It's just something that comes up. [6:51] We have cameras on it. [6:52] There's very little activity there. [6:54] But if there's even just a small amount, we'll hit it, and we'll hit it hard. [6:58] I want to ask you about the Taliban facility. [7:01] It's outside of Tehran, and it was hit in U.S. strikes previously. [7:04] These are satellite images from June and July. [7:08] And on June 22nd, you can see activity at this site. [7:12] And then on July 7th, there is movement. [7:15] There are trucks and cranes, and in that image, freshly poured concrete. [7:19] Right. [7:20] What do these images say to you? [7:21] What I'm hearing is that they put, and what they've watched it, that they poured concrete to close up the entrances so we couldn't get into it. [7:29] So that's what they're saying. [7:31] But we can hit that one very easily. [7:33] You know, it only takes a matter of minutes for us to do it and do major damage, major damage. [7:38] And when they know it's coming, they disappear. [7:41] Yeah, that's exactly what I'm seeing here. [7:42] And, sir, on Monday, you announced that the United States is reimposing the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. [7:51] It started now. [7:52] Shipping data trackers indicate that just 10 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, [7:59] less than 10% of what normally goes through this critical waterway. [8:02] When you say the Strait is open, what do you mean? [8:05] It's open if people want to go through it. [8:08] We're not opening it for Iran. [8:10] That's the only one it's closed for. [8:11] It's closed for Iran both in and out. [8:13] But it's open now. [8:14] A lot of things have happened, Trey, in the last few months. [8:18] Pipelines are being built. [8:19] We're coming up with great alternatives, including Texas, including Alaska. [8:25] You've called the new leadership in Iran a changed regime. [8:28] Do you still believe that? [8:30] Well, I knew the first group for a little while, and they were evil, and they're no longer with us. [8:36] I knew the second group also a little bit better, and they were evil, and they're no longer with us. [8:41] And the third group, they have some bad ones in there, some very bad ones in there. [8:45] And I think they're the ones that are stopping a deal. [8:49] So are you negotiating with the wrong people? [8:51] Well, now I don't want to negotiate now. [8:53] I said, let's not negotiate. [8:55] Three days ago, we had a deal. [8:57] When was the last time you spoke with an Iranian official? [8:59] Well, not me, but let's say my representatives. [9:03] I have spoken to them. [9:04] But my representatives over the course of, well, actually, an hour ago. [9:12] And what message was delivered? [9:13] They want to make a deal. [9:15] But every time they make a deal, they break it. [9:17] They don't want to die. [9:18] People don't want to die. [9:20] Yeah, about an hour ago. [9:23] And what message was delivered? [9:26] You better make a deal. [9:27] You're not going to have anybody left. [9:31] We're being very careful with the civilian population, as you know. [9:34] But I said, you better make a deal. [9:36] You're not going to have anything left. [9:37] And you think they will? [9:40] They should. [9:40] I don't know if they will or not. [9:42] Sir, thank you for speaking with Fox News. [9:43] Thank you. [9:44] Thank you very much. [9:45] President Trump also spoke about the investigation into the Manab school strike, [9:50] his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, [9:54] and broader topics, including the war in Ukraine. [9:56] We will have updates throughout the day tomorrow on Fox News. [10:00] Brett. [10:00] We'll run some more soundbites later with the panel. [10:03] Trey, nice job at the White House. [10:05] Thank you. 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