U.S. President Donald Trump told G7 leaders during a virtual meeting on Wednesday that Iran is “about to surrender” following the American military campaign dubbed Operation Epic Fury. The previously undisclosed remarks, first reported Friday by Axios, highlight the administration’s confidence despite an ongoing global economic crisis triggered by the conflict.
Trump claimed the Iranian government’s command structure is completely shattered, telling international allies that the U.S. successfully “got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all.” According to the report, Trump stated that the regime’s leadership is in such disarray that “nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender.”
The U.S.-Iran war has severely disrupted international trade. The International Energy Agency recently warned that the conflict has caused the “largest supply disruption” in history, as maritime traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz remains nearly halted. The disruption has pushed U.S. oil stockpiles to a three-decade low, while the conflict has cost the U.S. approximately $11 billion.
Despite Trump’s assertions of an imminent Iranian capitulation, Iranian officials have publicly projected continued defiance. U.S. officials, including Pete Hegseth, have stated that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is wounded and likely disfigured. Khamenei recently issued public messages vowing revenge against the U.S. and Israel, pledging to maintain leverage by keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.
In response to the economic strain, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. Navy will begin escorting commercial ships through the Strait “soon.” The effort may include an international coalition, mirroring other diplomatic initiatives as the US, Ukraine advance peace plan negotiations abroad.
Western alignment on the naval crisis appears to be fracturing. The Financial Times reported that France and Italy have opened independent backchannel negotiations with Iran to guarantee safe passage specifically for their own national vessels.