Trump Outraged! Declares Iran is Already 'Dead'
US President Donald Trump has once again caused a stir by declaring that Iran is ‘dead’. He explicitly called for the country’s leaders to be prosecuted for what he described as war crimes against humanity.
Quoting Al Jazeera on Tuesday (1/9/2026), Trump also promised on Monday to respond harshly to Iran’s recent deadly attacks on a military base housing US troops in Jordan. The US President’s anger erupted as the US-Israel war against Iran entered its seventh month, amidst renewed clashes with no clear resolution in sight.
“Iran is officially a Failed State. THAT COUNTRY IS DEAD! They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they do not pay their soldiers or their police, inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total chaos and unable to represent the country properly,” he asserted.
Trump has repeatedly stated since the beginning of the conflict that the Iranian government system is collapsing. However, the regime has proven to remain resilient without any major defections, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continuing to lead war defence efforts.
Clashes in the region flared up again on Sunday after the US military attacked Larak Island, under the pretext of targeting IRGC rocket launchers carrying sea mines to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran quickly responded by launching ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan, demonstrating Tehran’s capability and determination to retaliate when attacked. Responding to this escalation, Trump vowed on Monday to retaliate against Iran’s response, a move that risks prolonging the bloody confrontation.
“We will hit them hard. There will be a response,” he told Fox News.
This turmoil marks the first chapter of armed combat between the two nations since July, during which the previous Trump administration had stated a shift towards economic pressure tactics. However, Trump now alleges that Iran’s harsh actions against anti-government protesters are the only thing preventing the regime from collapsing.
“The only things they have are FAKE NEWS from the US, a willingness to kill their protesters (now more than 100,000 people have died. They must be tried for war crimes against humanity!), and a great line of NONSENSE,” he explained.
The figure of 100,000 deaths is a new record claimed unilaterally by Trump, an increase from his previous allegation of 60,000 deaths. It remains unclear where the US President obtained this latest figure, as Iranian authorities officially place the death toll at 3,117, including security forces members, blaming the deaths on Israel-backed rioters.
In his statement, Trump also appeared to conflate the concept of war crimes (violations of the laws of war) with crimes against humanity (systemic campaigns of harassment against civilians). Separately, the Trump administration has even imposed sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
On the other hand, Iran has not remained silent, counter-accusing the US of committing war crimes by brutally targeting civilians during the conflict. One of the bloodiest incidents was a US airstrike in Minab, southern Iran, on the first day of the war, which hit an all-girls school, killing 168 people, most of whom were children.