President Donald Trump has vowed to strike Iran 'very hard' during a meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, as Middle East tensions escalate. 'We're gonna hit them very hard,' Trump told reporters. 'I can actually say that because there's very little they can do about it. They've already apologized. But we've gotta smack them a little bit.'
He continued: 'In the meantime, we're going to be hitting them very hard. Because it's our turn to hit them. They know what's coming. They're asking us not to do it.' The remarks came in response to a journalist's question about conditions for the US to pull out of the Middle East.
Retaliatory Strikes and Public Reaction
Recent weeks have seen a series of retaliatory strikes between the two nations, which Trump referenced. On social media platform X, users criticized the president's threats, with one writing: 'In almost 5 months, Trump hasn't learned this isn't working.'
Last week, before leaving Washington for a dignified transfer of three US military personnel killed in the Middle East, Trump insisted Americans support the war effort. 'Americans aren't against the war,' he said, citing a poll. 'Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.'
Talks with Netanyahu and Strait of Hormuz
On Tuesday, Trump held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hours earlier, he told Fox News: 'If they don't make a deal, then I go back, and I finish the job. But that's going to take them forever to rebuild. Already, it'll take them many years to ever to rebuild.' Trump also reaffirmed US control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely blockaded by Iran since hostilities began.
Dulles Airport Overhaul Announced
On Wednesday, Trump was accompanied by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby at the White House to announce alterations to Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The president has personally scrutinised designs for months, requesting 3D models from competing design and engineering firms for the redevelopment contract, according to CBS News. Substantial tabletop plans were transported to and from the White House for his consideration.
Trump has previously described the airport as 'terrible' and 'incorrectly designed'. Critics agree it is long overdue for a significant overhaul and modernisation. Built in 1962, the airport is set for a major renovation that is expected to scrap its mobile lounges—which Trump has privately called 'crazy', per CBS—that have been in use since 1962. The proposals also include a substantial terminal expansion, replacing the existing A, B, C and D gates with linear concourses. The C and D gates were originally built in 1985 as temporary terminals for United Airlines but have remained for over 40 years. United Airlines accounts for approximately 70 percent of traffic at Dulles.
