Political commentator Bill O’Reilly stated on Monday, August 11, 2026, that former President Donald Trump is not "flailing" as he seeks to pressure Iran into accepting a deal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while also addressing Iran's nuclear program.

O’Reilly advised that Trump needs to inflict "more pain on Iran than Iran is inflicting on the world." When pressed by NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on whether Trump was "flailing," O’Reilly responded, "I don’t think that’s fair. He told me that directly, all right? He didn’t want to do it."

O’Reilly further suggested that if he were president, he would "take out" and "obliterate" Pickaxe Mountain—an alleged uranium site—and warn Tehran’s citizens to evacuate due to impending destruction of infrastructure, including power. He acknowledged such actions would provoke global outrage but compared it to the U.S. actions in World War II against Germany and Japan.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have denied any ongoing talks with the U.S. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei told reporters that no negotiations are currently happening between the two countries, according to the state-run Fars News Agency. Early Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described Tehran as "resilient" and an "invincible power against the U.S.," according to local outlets.

Sources