Trump Weighs ‘Massive’ New Attack on Iran, Says Decision Is Close
Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 he is considering a massive new attack on Iran, bigger than Operation Epic Fury, and is close to a decision. Brent crude has already pushed past $100.
President Donald Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 News that he is weighing a new strike on Iran that would be larger than anything the U.S. has run so far, and that he is close to pulling the trigger. Trump said he was seriously considering resuming a broader war against Iran and launching an attack larger than Operation Epic Fury, but said he had not made a final decision.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than anything that has happened before. I am close to making a decision. We are fully prepared for it,” Trump told Channel 12 journalist Barak Ravid in a brief telephone interview.
What Trump actually said
Trump gave no timeframe for a decision. N12 cited two other US officials as saying no decision had been made and no new orders had been issued to the military.
Trump said Israel “would join within two minutes if I asked,” but added that the United States did not need anyone to launch a new operation against Iran. He said there would be “consequences” if Israel joined the strikes, appearing to refer to possible Iranian retaliation against Israel.
Trump said the Iranians “want to negotiate” but are not ready to make a deal at the moment. “They haven’t received enough pain yet,” he said.
Why the market cares
This is not a one-off tweet. The remarks came after 12 days of escalating U.S. attacks intended to halt Iranian assaults on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has shown no willingness to change course and has intensified its own operations across the region. Iran backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen have also renewed attacks on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, increasing pressure on another vital global energy route.
Trump made his remarks on Thursday as oil prices once again surged past the symbolic $100 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark. A widening of the campaign puts the Strait of Hormuz, roughly a fifth of global oil flows, back on the risk board.
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Region on edge
In Israel, the municipalities of Ramat Gan, Eilat and Karmiel announced Thursday that they had opened all public bomb shelters after local assessments concluded the risk of Iranian missile fire over the weekend had increased and could no longer be considered negligible. “We decided to open all the shelters in the city,” Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen said in a social media post. “A situation assessment found that the risk of missile fire from Iran over the weekend has increased and is no longer negligible,” he said.
The Houthis said they attacked the Saudi oil tankers Encelia and Layla using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Saudi authorities said the Encelia was struck and caught fire, but all crew members were safe.
Options market and stocks to watch
Traders should watch how flow reacts to a rapidly shifting risk premium across energy, defense, and travel names.
Energy: XOM and CVX tend to catch a bid when Brent runs above $100 and Strait of Hormuz headlines dominate. Watch for call skew and put unwinds if crude keeps climbing.
Defense: LMT, RTX, and NOC are the usual reflex trades on any expansion of U.S. strike operations. Watch for follow-through on order-flow, not just a one-day pop.
Airlines: DAL and UAL are the other side of the trade. Sustained $100+ crude and rerouted flights over the Middle East pressure margins fast.
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