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Trump’s Tougher War Talk Signals Deeper Escalation in Iran

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A woman poses with a picture of Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in support of him at Enghelab Square in Tehran on March 9.Photographer: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

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By Richard Frost

March 13, 2026 at 9:16 AM UTC

With the price of oil holding around $100 a barrel and criticism mounting over the global impact of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran due to the halt of a crucial coastal trade route, President Donald Trump is doubling down on the war rhetoric.

The US was “ totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise,” Trump said in a social media post late Thursday. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time - Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”