On Tuesday, July 21st, 2026, President Donald Trump declared that the United States is "not finished" attacking Iran and indicated that American forces could soon target Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear site near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "We'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily," adding that he would not normally announce targets but "there's not a thing they can do about it."

Trump projected that if US forces were to leave immediately, it would take Iran 20 to 25 years to rebuild from the damage already sustained in the ongoing Middle East conflict. He emphasized, "Okay, and we're not finished at all ... we're not leaving right now."

The announcement comes amid a 10th consecutive day of hostilities between the US and Iran across the Middle East, overshadowing diplomatic efforts in Pakistan aimed at salvaging an interim ceasefire deal. Following renewed clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi ports, raising concerns about the stability of a truce largely holding since 2022.

Trump also warned that the US will respond if the Houthis carry out their blockade threat, stating, "we will just have to take care of business." He referenced previous US actions against the Houthis, noting, "You know, we've done that with the Houthis before, and we haven't heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that recent operations aim to degrade Iran's capability to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime trade route. The Pentagon reported nearly 100 US service members wounded since hostilities resumed on July 7th, 2026.

During a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump reiterated that Iran would require 20 to 25 years to recover from the damage inflicted so far.

Maritime intelligence provider Vanguard Tech reported that following the Houthi blockade warning, two tankers reversed course in the Red Sea after loading crude at the Saudi port of Yanbu.

The situation remains tense as the US continues its military campaign against Iran, with Trump stating, "they want to meet desperately to try and end it, because they're getting decimated," but adding, "until they're ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting."

Sources