Trump ‘Considering’ Massive Iran Strike Bigger Than Operation Epic Fury: Report

• Trump said Israel would join any operation ‘in two minutes’ if asked.
• Yemen-based Houthi militants claimed they struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones.
• Trump has threatened Iran and Houthis with ‘major military punishment’ following the attack.

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering restarting major combat operations against Iran, following attacks on Saudi oil tankers by the Yemen-based militant group Houthi.

According to an Axios report on Thursday, Trump said the planned operations could involve strikes larger than Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign launched on Feb. 28, 2026, which resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump told Axios.

Two U.S. officials also confirmed to Axios that no formal decision has been made and no new orders have been issued to the military, according to the report.

Trump said Israel would join any operation “in two minutes” if asked, but stressed that the U.S. has the capacity to act alone. He also warned that Israel could face “consequences” from Iran if it participated in the strikes.

The comments come as the U.S. has intensified military operations over the past 12 days in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Blames Iran For Houthi Attacks In Red Sea

Earlier on Thursday, Yemen-based Houthi militants claimed they had struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, raising concerns over broader disruptions to global energy supplies.

In response, Trump warned on Truth Social that Iran would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks, calling the group an Iranian proxy and threatening “major military punishment” against both Iran and the Houthis.

“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

Oil Prices Surge Past $100

The escalating conflict has already pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel. At the time of writing, Brent futures for September 2026 deliveries surged around 7% to $100.58 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contracts expiring in September traded 6% higher at $92.07 a barrel.

At the time of writing, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, fell 1.2%; the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) was down 1.9%; and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) declined 0.9%.

Also read: LMT Stock Sees Biggest Single-Day Rally In Nearly 25 Years As Lockheed Posts Record Backlog – Retail Says Defense Sector Getting Harder To Ignore

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.