Trump says US has ‘already won’ the war in Iran but he wants to win by a ‘bigger margin’Your support helps us to tell the story
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Donald Trump reportedly received a high-level briefing on Thursday from Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on new military options against Iran.
Plans under discussion include a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iranian infrastructure, a possible operation to take control of parts of the Strait of Hormuz to restore shipping, and even a special forces mission to secure Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Axios reported.
Earlier, Trump said the US had “already won” the war in Iran even as he continued to pressure Tehran to make a deal.
During an interview with Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren, the president declared that the US had achieved victory, but said he wanted to win by a “bigger margin”.
“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”
Despite his insistence that Iran is already beaten, the president is continuing his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pictured: ‘White phosphorous’ explosions in Lebanon
An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the IDF on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 30 (Reuters)
Conflict continues despite a ceasefire agreement (Reuters)
James Reynolds1 May 2026 10:30
Watch: Trump says he wouldn’t call Iran conflict ‘a war’Trump says he wouldn’t call Iran conflict ‘a war’
James Reynolds1 May 2026 10:00
What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps?
The elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were set up shortly after the 1979 revolution to protect the clerical ruling system.
The IRGC answers to the supreme leader of Iran. Its mandate to protect revolutionary values has prompted it to speak out against the government when it felt the system was threatened.
It also provides a counterweight to Iran’s professional army.
Before the war, the IRGC had an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units. It also commands the Basij religious militia – a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to the clerical establishment that is often used to crack down on anti-government protests. And it oversees Iran’s ballistic missile programme – an issue in Washington’s sights.
The IRGC, branded a terrorist group by the United States, has sought for years to shape the Middle East, according to Iran’s interests.
Its Quds Force influences allied militias across the Middle East, handling relations with Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, among others.
James Reynolds1 May 2026 09:28
How Iran’s mosquito fleet is skirting Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Skirting around the vast oil tankers anchored patiently in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s “mosquito fleet” is locking down the critical waterway that is stuck under a double blockade.
The swarm of speedboats, seen as Tehran’s second navy, is now a serious concern for vessels seeking transit through the waterway, especially as these vessels are difficult to track and often carry weapons on board.
Here’s how Iran’s ‘mosquito fleet’ is causing havoc in the Strait of Hormuz:
James Reynolds1 May 2026 09:00
Analysis: Pete Hegseth looked bad in the House. He looks even worse in the Senate
Watching Hegseth try and answer these probing questions from restrained experts was like watching Buzz Lightyear realize he isn’t really a spaceman, writes Holly Baxter:
James Reynolds1 May 2026 08:38
The United States and Iran have been held in a stalemate since Donald Trump said he would indefinitely extend an existing ceasefire agreement last month.
While the daily missile strikes have stopped, both sides maintain naval blockades around the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to squeeze the other’s economy for leverage in peace talks.
But talks to end the war have not happened since mid-April, and both sides remain at odds over key issues. Iran says the US must retract its blockade on Iranian trade for talks to restart, while the US says Iran cannot blockade international shipping.
This week, it emerged Iran was asking to decouple the contentious issue of its nuclear programme from talks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The nuclear issue was cited among the reasons for starting the conflict, and Donald Trump publicly remains unmoved.
Now, attention has turned to reports the US is weighing a change in tactic, reopening the hot conflict with Iran to force its hand. Iran threatened yesterday that it would respond with “long and painful strikes” if the US does attack.
Donald Trump is aiming to leverage the US position for talks with Iran (Reuters)
James Reynolds1 May 2026 08:00
Watch: Trump says Iran can play world cup after Fifa confirmationTrump says Iran can play world cup after Fifa confirmation
James Reynolds1 May 2026 07:36
US-Israel war on Iran risks food shortage in parts of Africa, head of world’s largest fertiliser company says
The CEO of the world’s largest fertiliser company Yara International has warned that the US-Israel war on Iran could drive up fertiliser prices and disrupt supplies, risking food shortages in parts of Africa.
With key inputs like urea and ammonia already becoming scarce and more expensive due to supply chain disruptions, especially from the Middle East, there are fears of a “global auction” where richer countries secure supplies while poorer nations are priced out.
“The most important thing we can do now is raise the alarm on what we are seeing right now – that there is a risk of a global auction on fertiliser that means it becomes unaffordable for those most vulnerable,” he said.
“Africa is actually quite well positioned to be a major food producer, not only for self-sufficiency, but even for exports to the rest of the world, but the reality is that they are massive food importers.
“But we need to be aware in this part of the world of the potential consequences that if we get to a global auction on food, there will not be a famine in Europe – but we need to be aware of who we are taking the food away from.”
Although shortages are not yet certain, experts say the situation could worsen quickly, particularly for African countries that rely heavily on imports and lack subsidies or strong reserves, leaving their farmers and food systems especially vulnerable.
Maroosha Muzaffar1 May 2026 07:00
Trump says U.S. has ‘already won’ in Iran but he wants to win by a ‘bigger margin’
On Thursday, President Donald Trump told Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren that the U.S. has “already won” the war in Iran, but that he wants to continue the conflict to win by a “bigger margin.”
“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”
Trump continued, insisting that U.S. had “destroyed everything.”
“If we leave right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild if they ever could rebuild,” he said. “But it’s actually not good enough. We have to have guarantee they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Maroosha Muzaffar1 May 2026 06:45
Bahrain’s decision to strip dozens of citizenship for ‘sympathising with Iran’ will set precedent, rights group warns
Bahrain’s decision to strip dozens of its nationals of citizenship after accusing them of sympathising with Iran during the ongoing Middle East war will leave Shia Muslims with Iranian heritage at risk, a human rights group has warned.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on social media this week the 69 people whose citizenship have been revoked included accused individuals and their family members – an act that critics termed as “collective punishment”. They affected people are all of non-Bahraini origin.
Maroosha Muzaffar1 May 2026 06:30