What They’re Saying About Operation Epic Fury—May 2–3, 2026
U.S.
President Donald Trump | Speech
“We get the radical left, who say ‘we’re not winning.’ They [the Iranian regime] don’t have any military left. It’s unbelievable. . . . I believe it’s treasonous.”
President Donald Trump | Letter to House Speaker
“On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7, 2026.The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.”
President Donald Trump | Speech
“You know we’re in a war. Because I think you would agree we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon.”
President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists
“[Resuming military strikes against Iran could happen] if they misbehave, if they do something bad—but right now, we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could happen, certainly.”
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years.”
President Donald Trump | Speech
“They [the Iranian regime] are not coming through with the kind of deal that we have to have. We are going to get this thing done properly; we are not going to leave early.”
President Donald Trump | Press Interview
“[The latest Iranian diplomatic proposal is] not acceptable to me. I’ve studied it, I’ve studied everything—it’s not acceptable.”
President Donald Trump | Speech
“Frankly, maybe we’re better off not making a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth? Because we can’t let this thing go on”
President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists
“I’d like to eliminate [the remainder of Iran’s missile-production capability] . . . It’d be a start for them to build up again—and yeah, I would like to eliminate it.”
President Donald Trump | Speech
“We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business. We’re sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games.”
“As of today [May 3], 49 commercial vessels have been redirected to comply with blockade. U.S. forces remain fully committed to total enforcement.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent | Press Interview
“[The Iranian regime] really miscalculated when they started bombing their Gulf neighbors in a kinetic fashion, and in response, the Gulf neighbors—who I would describe as somewhat permissive in allowing Iranian IRGC money, Iranian regime money into their banking systems—have been very fulsome, and come forward, and given us the details, and allowed us to freeze those assets."
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett | Press Interview
“What the president is seeing is that the blockade is working. It’s putting an enormous amount of pressure on Iran. . . . They’re an economy that’s really on the precipice of extreme calamity.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer | X
[Referring to President Trump’s letter to Congressional leaders, stating that the Iran war has “terminated”] “That’s bullshit. This is an illegal war and every day Republicans remain complicit and allow it to continue is another day lives are endangered, chaos erupts, and prices increase, all while Americans foot the bill.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen | Statement
“President Trump declaring the war with Iran ‘terminated’ doesn’t reflect the reality that tens of thousands of U.S. service members in the region are still in harm’s way, that the Administration continually threatens to escalate hostilities or that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and prices are skyrocketing at home. President Trump entered this war without a strategy and without legal authorization and today’s announcement doesn’t change either fact.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham | Press Interview
“We have the capability to increase ship flow [through the Strait of Hormuz] . . . [The U.S. should do] whatever combination of events is necessary to start the flow . . . [and] take the leverage away from Iran. . . . Between the blockade, which has been brilliantly executed, and letting Iran know that Kharg Island is in play, hopefully that will create some deterrence. If it doesn’t, [we need to] just stand up to Iran, don’t let them get away with blackmailing the world.”
IRAN
IRGC Intelligence Organization | Statement
“[President Trump must choose] between an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i | X
“We do not welcome the continuation of war, but we do not fear war either; if our dignity is threatened, we will fight for our dignity.”
“A renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely, and evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei | X
“The President of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as ‘piracy,’ brazenly boasting that ‘we act like pirates.’ This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation. The international community, UN Member States, and the UN Secretary-General must firmly reject any normalization of such blatant violations of international law.”
GULF STATES
“HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call from HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi. . . . His Excellency affirmed the State of Qatar's full support for mediation efforts aimed at resolving the crisis through peaceful means, stressing the need for all parties to respond positively to these efforts in a way that helps create suitable conditions for progress in the negotiations and reduces the risk of renewed escalation. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that freedom of navigation is a well-established and non-negotiable principle, and that closing the Strait of Hormuz or using it as a bargaining chip would only exacerbate the crisis and jeopardize the vital interests of the region's countries.”
EUROPE
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul | X
“In the phone call with [Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi], I emphasized: [Germany] supports a negotiated solution. As a close US ally, we share the same goal: Iran must completely and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately release the Strait of Hormuz, as [U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio] also demands.”
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