Trump issues ultimatum on Iran: a deal or “finish them off”

Ultimatum on Tehran

US President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 25, issued a harsh ultimatum regarding Iran, raising the question of whether Washington should conclude a diplomatic agreement or pursue the country's complete military defeat. “Make a deal with them or finish them off? That is the only question,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, framing further action as a binary choice between diplomacy and an escalation of military operations.

Control over the Strait of Hormuz

Trump stated that American forces ensure complete maritime dominance over the transit corridor into the Persian Gulf: “We now control the Strait of Hormuz. They get nothing. Yes, we get everything.” According to him, commercial traffic through this narrow chokepoint exceeds pre-war levels, and the US Navy's blockade of Iranian ports and shipping is working “incredibly” effectively. The day before, on Saturday, Trump allowed for both new military strikes and a comprehensive agreement, questioning whether Tehran would honor possible commitments, and stated that either outcome would be an American victory. According to Anadolu, control over the Strait of Hormuz remains the central point of friction in the war with Iran, which began in late February after joint US-Israeli strikes, despite the ceasefire and a memorandum on concluding a final peace agreement.

Migration and protests in Europe

Touching on migration policy, Trump linked unrest in European cities to weak border control, contrasting this with the situation at the US border over the past 18 months. “I closed the border. We had zero penetration,” he declared, asserting that during this period not “a single illegal immigrant” entered the country, whereas previous administrations, in his words, allowed millions of people to arrive. Referring to recent protests in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain, Trump recounted that he had previously warned French President Emmanuel Macron: “You are destroying France. You are letting in people who hate your country.” He cited the massive influx of migrants into Spain as an example of broader instability in Europe.

Taiwan and semiconductors

Speaking about advanced technologies, Trump accused Taiwan of having “stolen” the entire American semiconductor sector through dumping prices. “They stole our chip business, all of it, 100%, because they made chips at a ridiculous price and just forced them on us,” he said, adding that stronger executive leadership in Washington would have prevented broader regional friction with China.

Why it matters

The White House chief's statements set the framework for the further development of the conflict around Iran: the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which, according to Trump, a significant share of world trade passes, depends on whether a diplomatic track or military escalation is chosen. For markets and shipping companies, the signal about possible new strikes means continued uncertainty, especially since, as Anadolu notes, even with the ceasefire in effect, a final peace agreement has not been concluded. Trump's claims of “zero penetration” by migrants and the “theft” of the chip business are his own assessments, and independent verification of these figures is absent from the publication.