Trump vows to 'hit Iran hard' after US-Iran exchange of strikes
Quick Look
- Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran hard after US and Iranian forces exchanged strikes for the first time in a month, with Iran targeting US bases in Jordan and UAE following US strikes on Larak Island.
- Trump called Iran a 'failed nation' and shared an AI-generated video of Kharg Island being destroyed, which US officials denied occurred.
- Vance said the US military is big enough to handle threats despite munitions shortages, while Hegseth hired conservative influencers to amplify his 'warrior ethos' mantra.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US and Iran have been in conflict since late February when the US and Israel began launching strikes against Iran. The latest escalation began when US forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, claiming Iran was preparing to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by targeting US bases in Jordan and UAE. Despite renewed hostilities, Iranian President Pezeshkian emphasized Tehran is still seeking a negotiated solution.
Trump vowed retaliation for Iranian strikes on US military bases in Jordan
Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran “hard” after the US and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month, warning that “there will be a response” following Iranian missile strikes on US military bases.
Iran launched its strikes targeting US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates following US attacks on Larak Island, the first American strikes on the Islamic Republic since late July.
Despite the renewed hostilities, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasised that Tehran is still seeking a negotiated solution to its conflict with the US.
Trump also warned earlier that the American military may still “smack” Iran despite it being a “failed nation”.
Meanwhile, the US president posted an AI-generated video of Kharg Island being “blown to smithereens.”
A US official told Reuters that no such attack had taken place on Kharg Island. US Central Command said that “limited, precise action” had been launched “against IRGC minelaying forces”.
Hamid Bovard, the chief executive of government-run National Iranian Oil Co, insisted oil operations had not stopped on the island and called Trump’s post on Truth Social “laughable”.
Vance says US military is 'big enough' to handle threats, despite reports of munitions shortages
JD Vance has said the US military is “big enough” to handle threats, despite reports of munitions shortages.
“Are you concerned about reports of weapon shortages, the strain on the forces? Is the U.S. Military big enough to handle threats around the world, including China?” Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson asked the US vice president in a new interview.
“Look, we're clearly big enough to handle threats around the world, including China”, Vance replied. “As the president has said, we want to have a positive relationship with the PRC [People’s Republic of China]”.
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 05:30
Hegseth hired conservative influencers who amplify his ‘warrior ethos’ mantra: report
A handful of high-profile conservative influencers have reportedly been working as undisclosed government employees and using their huge social media followings to praise US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and defend the Trump administration’s policies.
Among them are Rob Maness, a retired Army Air Force colonel with more than 130,000 followers on X, and Kurt Schlichter, a retired Army colonel with more than 600,000 followers on X, according to the Washington Post.
Maness and Schlichter have active government email addresses ending in “.civ” – meaning they are civilian employees – and are assigned to the Defense Department’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, sources told the Post.
Yet neither influencer has disclosed that they are working for, or did work for, the Pentagon, the Post reported. Even while they were advocating for Hegseth to fire critics at the department, backing Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and defending the Defense Secretary’s spending on a luxury dinner.
Read on...
Hegseth hired conservative influencers who amplify his ‘warrior ethos’ mantra: report
It’s unclear what work the conservative influencers are engaging in or if they are receiving financialso in compensation
Ariana Baio1 September 2026 04:59
Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘hard’
Donald Trump has threatened to “hit them hard” after the US and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month, warning that “there will be a response” following Iranian missile strikes on US military bases in Jordan.
He called Iran “officially a failed nation without an airforce, a navy or a currency”.
The latest escalation began when US forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran was preparing to deploy naval mines in the crucial waterway.
Iran retaliated by targeting US bases, while the UAE said it intercepted an Iranian drone.
The renewed fighting comes as Washington intensifies sanctions aimed at crippling Iran’s economy and seeks to loosen Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Maroosha Muzaffar1 September 2026 04:30
Full story: Trump’s Army Secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration.
Driscoll and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s working relationship had endured months of tension during his time in the job, reported Reuters and CNN.
No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice President JD Vance, but tensions with Hegseth have been widely reported. It marks the latest in a series of shakeups of the military leadership, with the Army especially seeing major upheaval.
Read more...
Army Secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
Dan Driscoll leaves after 18-months in the job with White House bogged down in Iran conflict
Graeme Massie & AP1 September 2026 03:59
Watch: Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 03:29
Retired Army general warns the US is 'much weaker than we were even before 9/11'
Retired US Army Major General Randy Manner has warned that the US is “much weaker than we were even before 9/11”.
Manner spoke out against US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for reportedly purging top Pentagon officials.
“Quite frankly, the secretary of defense has got to go,” Manner told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Manner’s comments come as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned following reported tensions with Hegseth.
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 03:02
Vance calls Iranian leadership 'really crazy'
When asked what JD Vance has learned from going to war with Iran, the US vice president said the Middle Eastern country’s leadership is “really crazy.”
“I think what I've learned is, these guys are really, really — meaning the leadership of the country — they’re really crazy.
“And they are willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil and gas as possible”, Vance told Fox News.
Iran has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil waterway in the Middle East, after the US and Israel began launching strikes against the country in late February.
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 02:32
Trump calls Iran conflict 'relatively little war'
Donald Trump has called the ongoing conflict in Iran a “relatively little war.”
“This is a relatively little war for us. This is not a big war”, the US president said from the Oval Office Monday.
Trump’s comments come as the war heads into its seventh month.
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 02:02
Fully story: Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks
Donald Trump has vowed to “hit Iran hard” after fighting broke out between the US and Tehran for the first time in a month.
Missiles and a drone were fired by Washington at Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday night, before Iran targeted US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in response.
US Central Command said it took “limited, precise action” on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “minelaying forces” in the shipping channel, where Mr Trump previously claimed the US Navy had cleared all mines.
At least three people were killed in the attack, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, with two of the dead said to be part of the Revolutionary Guards Navy.
Read on...
Trump threatens to ‘hit Iran hard’ as US and Iran restart strikes
Trump has vowed further escalation after Iran retaliated for US attacks on rocket launcher on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz
Maira Butt1 September 2026 01:31
US Senate Democrats rail against Trump administration over Iran war: 'Complete failure'
US Senate Democrats have railed against the Trump administration over its handling of the situation in Iran.
Mark Kelly of Arizona writes...
Mark Warner of Virginia writes...
Rachel Dobkin1 September 2026 01:03
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US will launch additional military strikes against Iran in response to the attacks on bases in Jordan and UAE
Likely · Within days
Iran will continue to target US interests in the region while maintaining its claim of seeking a negotiated solution
Likely · Within weeks
The controversy over conservative influencers working as undisclosed government employees will lead to congressional investigations
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific damage resulted from the strikes on US bases in Jordan and UAE?
- Will the US military respond to Iran's strikes as Trump threatened?
- Are the conservative influencers receiving compensation for their work with the Defense Department?
- What are the exact terms of the negotiated solution Iran seeks with the US?
