WASHINGTON D.C Sept 1, 2026 – President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged the Iranian people to “rise up and fight” their government, dismissing reports that recent U.S. military action was meant to push Tehran back to the negotiating table.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that he was “not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported.” He added: “I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”
The remarks came as U.S. Central Command announced another round of strikes on Iran. Officials said the attacks were retaliation for Iranian targeting of U.S. forces in Jordan and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest barrage followed a month-long pause in airstrikes and marked the second such operation since Sunday.
Iranian state media reported that a U.S. strike hit a wedding in Kuhestak, a coastal city near the Strait of Hormuz, killing at least five people, including a child, and wounding 68 others. A CENTCOM spokesman said the U.S. military does not target civilians and was aware of the reports.
Trump also warned earlier Tuesday that any Iranian retaliation would be met with intense military action and that the country would “be no longer.” The conflict between the United States and Iran has now lasted more than six months.
The latest appeal echoes statements Trump made at the outset of major U.S. and Israeli operations in late February 2026, when he told Iranians that “the hour of your freedom is at hand” and urged them to take over their government after the bombing campaign. Those earlier calls came amid reports that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials had been killed. Analysts at the time questioned whether a popular uprising was likely while remnants of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remained intact.
BRICS-affiliated account @BRICSinfo circulated the latest statement Wednesday with a formal portrait of Trump and an image of the Iranian flag against a sunset sky. The post quickly drew replies ranging from support for an uprising to accusations that U.S. strikes had killed civilians.
Trump has previously claimed Iranian officials were “begging” for a deal. In recent days he has shifted toward arguing that Washington now holds the stronger hand through control of the strait and Iran’s deteriorating economy, while continuing to press the Iranian public to act against the remaining leadership.
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