United States President Donald Trump has warned he is considering launching the largest strikes yet on Iran after Tehran conducted another series of retaliatory attacks targeting US allies in the Gulf region, including an assault on a telecommunications tower in Kuwait.

In an interview with US news website Axios on Thursday, July 23rd, 2026, Trump stated he was “considering a massive attack” that would be “bigger than ever before.” This announcement comes amid a weeks-long military confrontation during which the US has reportedly attacked Iran for 12 consecutive nights, striking bridges and tunnels, according to Iranian media.

The escalating conflict has also impacted global oil markets. The international benchmark Brent crude surged past $100 a barrel on the same day for the first time since May. Janiv Shah, vice president of the Rystad Energy consultancy, explained, “Much of the world’s spare production capacity has already been used, while strategic and commercial oil inventories are lower than when the war began, leaving the market with fewer buffers against a prolonged supply disruption.”

Additional regional tensions include rising shipping insurance rates as key maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb have been shut down. Meanwhile, US allies Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan have faced Iranian attacks, further intensifying the crisis.

Senator Marco Rubio has commented that Iran appears to be “begging” for a deal with the US but is not yet ready to finalize one. The situation continues to raise concerns over the broader security implications, including those related to the US-Saudi nuclear agreement.

Sources