Florida: US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that Washington could launch “another little Epic Fury” if Tehran refuses to negotiate, escalating his rhetoric in the eight-month-old US-Iran war even as he suggested the conflict may be nearing an end.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday evening, Trump framed a new strike as the alternative to a diplomatic deal. “We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” he told the crowd, according to media reports. He said Tehran should “get down to business” and added that he doubted it would, because “perhaps they’re not smart.”
The rally at the Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University was part of a midterm election campaign swing, and his remarks are the most direct recent threat of renewed US military action against Iran.
What Trump said at the rally
Trump repeatedly referenced the two US operations already carried out against Iran this year: Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. “We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer,” he told supporters, adding that the rest was done with Epic Fury, the name the US military has used for its war against Iran.
He also claimed credit on other fronts, saying he had brought all 28 Hamas hostages back to their families and that “just yesterday, we got Stephen Hubbard back from Russia.” Trump has repeatedly said he has ended or is close to ending multiple conflicts, and on Friday he named the Russia-Ukraine war alongside Iran as ones he was working to close.
“We could end it very quickly”
Earlier on Friday, speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn before leaving for Florida, Trump struck a more open-ended tone. “We could end it very quickly,” he said. “Do we want to finish it off or just want to let it wither?”
The war, which began in late February, has yet to be settled despite a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding aimed at finalising a peace deal. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions, according to Reuters, and the fighting has weighed on fuel prices ahead of the US midterms.
Trump had earlier this month pledged not to attack Iran before the midterm elections, in which control of Congress is at stake. US media have continued to report that renewed military operations are being considered for after the vote.
Cuba “on the way back”
In one of the rally’s more surprising moments, Trump hinted Cuba could be next after Iran, saying US warships returning from the Middle East could stop off the island. “We’ll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran… then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal,” he said.
The administration has previously stated its goal is to change Cuba’s communist government, and a US-imposed oil blockade earlier this year has left the island battling fuel shortages and blackouts. Cuba’s foreign minister told the UN General Assembly last month that Havana would always be open to dialogue with Washington.
Strait of Hormuz escalation
Trump’s remarks land against a sharp escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said two supertankers attempting an unauthorised southern route struck naval mines, triggering explosions and fires. The two tankers were carrying a combined total of more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil, according to the IRGC.
The IRGC has also warned of strikes on US bases over naval escorts through the strait. The US blockade has now passed 100 days, with US Central Command saying it has blocked at least $25 billion in Iranian oil exports. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for regime change in Tehran, and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia have drawn condemnation from UN chief Antonio Guterres.
FAQs
What did Trump say about Iran at the Florida rally?
He said the US “may do another little Epic Fury” if Iran does not agree to negotiate, referencing the previous US military operation against Iran.
When would a new strike happen?
Trump said he would not attack Iran before the US midterm elections, leaving open the possibility of action afterwards.
What did Trump say about Cuba?
He suggested US warships returning from Iran could stop off Cuba and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be sent in to “finish up the deal.”
How long has the US-Iran war been going on?
The conflict is nearing its eight-month mark, having begun in late February 2026.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter?
About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, so any escalation there can quickly push global crude prices higher.
Trump’s Florida rally remarks show a familiar pattern: maximum pressure in public, a door left open for a deal. Whether Tehran treats “another little Epic Fury” as bluster or a promise may decide what happens after the midterms.
