Trump says U.S. could strike Iran as soon as Sunday — reversing Friday's dismissal of a weekend strike
What happened
President Trump said Saturday that the United States could launch a military strike against Iran as soon as Sunday — or instead reach what he called a 'big, beautiful' deal with Tehran. Asked by reporters how close he was to ordering an attack, he said: 'We're thinking about doing it, and maybe tomorrow.' He added that Iran wants a deal but questioned whether Tehran would hold one: 'they want to make a deal, but the problem is, will they hold the deal?' Iran pushed back hard the same day: armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said U.S. military ships would never be allowed into the Persian Gulf 'under any circumstances and at any time,' and a Revolutionary Guard spokesman called American threats 'largely for media consumption' while warning Iran's response to any strike would be 'several times greater.'
Why it matters & what’s next are part of Pro, along with the audio summary.
Start your free 14-day trialWho’s affected
- Energy/oil complex (Brent already above $117, WTI ~$103.60 after Friday's 3.5-4% jump; a strike or Gulf retaliation would push crude higher and lift energy names like Chevron and Exxon while pressuring airlines, transports and consumer discretionary via fuel costs); broad U.S. equities (Friday's Dow -653 template for Monday's open if a strike lands, with futures and oil trading Sunday evening as the first read); defense stocks (Lockheed Martin and peers, already bid on a record $292B Lockheed backlog tied to Iran-war demand)
- Bitcoin and crypto (trades through the weekend and already dipped below $80,000 Saturday, with $543M in 24-hour liquidations, making it the earliest sentiment gauge).