US President Donald Trump has dismissed suggestions that the recent conflict with Iran exposed limits to his ability to exert power, insisting that he still believes there are “no limits.”
Speaking during an interview with The Axios Show, Trump rejected the notion that the war had humbled him, despite entering the conflict demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and later agreeing to a more limited memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities.
According to Trump, the agreement was necessary to prevent a wider crisis that could have severely impacted the global economy.
Asked what lessons he had learned about the limits of presidential power during the conflict, Trump responded: “I haven’t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but there are no limits.”
He argued that the United States achieved a decisive military victory and suggested that the agreement reached with Iran was, in effect, a form of unconditional surrender.
Trump also pointed to the naval blockade imposed during the conflict as evidence of American military strength.
“Who else could have done a blockade like that? I did a naval blockade where not one ship was able to get through. Some tried. It didn’t last very long,” he said.
The U.S. president acknowledged that alternative approaches could have had severe consequences for the global economy.
Responding to critics who believed he should have taken a tougher stance against Iran, Trump said extending military operations would have risked shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments.
“The only way I can get tougher is if I go in there for another two or three weeks and continue to bomb the hell out of them. But what does that get us? The Strait of Hormuz will not be open,” he said.
He warned that prolonged disruption of shipping through the strait could have triggered a major oil shortage and a worldwide economic downturn.
“We wouldn’t have oil for months. As long as you’re dropping bombs, that thing is automatically closed,” Trump said, adding that such a scenario “could cause a worldwide depression.”
According to reports, Trump had privately expressed concerns about declining global petroleum reserves and the risk of a major oil shock if the strategic waterway remained closed.
Despite those concerns, Trump maintained that the conflict demonstrated the strength and reach of American power rather than any limitations on his authority.
The remarks come as debate continues over the long-term impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict and the effectiveness of the agreement reached to ease tensions between both countries.
