During an interaction with the press at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, the US President threatened Iran again with large-scale military strikes tonight, but added that the latest round of fighting between the two nations would not result in “long-term” military action.

.@POTUS: “I’m number one on the kill list for Iran… but I don’t really care because I’m doing my job, and I’m doing it, I hope, better than anybody’s ever done it.” 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/P47VkauTnq

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026

Here’s what Trump said on Iran during the NATO Summit:

• Following new waves of strikes overnight, Trump warned the US will “probably hit Iran hard again tonight”. He earlier said, “We hit them very hard last night, very, very hard.”

President Donald Trump speaks during a media conference flanked by, from left, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. (AP Photo)

• Reiterating the goal of US operations in Iran, Trump said the aim was to end the country’s nuclear programme and not bring about a regime change.
  

  .@POTUS on what changed with Iran: “I think more than anything else is I got to know them — and I’m not sure I want to make a deal with them. We can play games, but I’m not sure I want to make a deal. Let’s just finish the job.” pic.twitter.com/ld7uxNV9m8

  — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026

• Trump also threatened to reimpose a naval blockade on Iran, including in the Strait of Hormuz, which was earlier lifted after an initial agreement to end the conflict was signed between the two nations. “We may put back the blockade. And there’ll only be a blockade for Iran, anyone else can have whatever, of course.”

• When asked about the ceasefire and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the US and Iran last month, Trump said: “To me, I think it’s over.”

• Calling the Iranian leadership “scum”, the US President said, “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people.”
• The Republican leader was asked, during the press briefing at the NATO Summit in Ankara, if the talks would resume, to which he responded, “I don’t care, they can talk. But I think they’re wasting their time. They’re a bunch of lying guys.”
• When asked if the US has any plans to put boots on the ground in Iran, Trump said, “Why would I go in now? I go in when they’re completely, either eliminated…or an agreement’s made.”
• Trump defended his handling of the Iran war and ​reiterated his ⁠earlier remarks that he was ‌a target of Tehran. “They had leaders, they’re gone… Now they ⁠have ⁠another set of leaders. They ⁠may ‌be ​gone. And ‌you ​know ​what, ​I may be gone ​too, because I’m ⁠their number one target.”