House Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump's handling of the Iran conflict Thursday, arguing that the administration is balancing military pressure with ongoing diplomatic efforts despite a fresh round of U.S. strikes and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from the president.
Answering a question from CNN's Manu Raju, Johnson said Trump remains focused on securing a negotiated resolution even as tensions continue to escalate.
"I think he's communicating directly with our adversaries over there. I would not put too much stock in the details of that right now," Johnson said of Trump's public statements threatening to take Kharg Island.
Johnson argued that Iran, not the United States, is responsible for prolonging the conflict.
"The president is negotiating a peace, and the Iranians continue to provoke us," Johnson said, citing what he described as Iran's firing on a U.S. helicopter.
"That was a very provocative thing for Iran to do," he said. "And the president felt he's the commander in chief, and his top advisers in the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff, they felt that it required a proportional response," Johnson said.
While defending the military action, Johnson emphasized that diplomatic channels remain open.
"Right now, they are working to have that situation resolved, and they're doing the best they can, and we have negotiators over there, our envoys who are working around the clock to bring this to a conclusion," he said.
"But the Iranians have shown, at least for the time being, that they're unwilling to do that."
Johnson urged patience as negotiations continue.
"We are hopeful that that works out. We have to allow the space to do it," he said. "We're about 100 days into this conflict, and the Congress has to allow the commander in chief to do what it is he's doing."
The speaker's comments came hours after Trump dramatically escalated his public threats against Tehran in a Truth Social post that underscored the dual-track approach that has defined his Iran policy.
"The United States will be hitting Iran ... VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump wrote, claiming that Iran's navy, air force, radar network and air defenses were effectively destroyed.
The president went on to suggest the United States could seize Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal, along with other energy infrastructure and "assume total control" of Iranian oil and gas markets.
The latest statement fits a pattern that has emerged throughout the conflict.
Trump has repeatedly issued sweeping threats against Iran, at times warning of devastating military consequences, speaking of the possible destruction of the regime's capabilities and demanding capitulation, while simultaneously maintaining that Tehran can still avoid further escalation by agreeing to a deal.
At the center of the dispute remains Iran's nuclear program.
U.S. officials and international watchdogs have warned that Iran possesses significant quantities of highly enriched uranium and has dramatically shortened the timeline needed to produce weapons-grade nuclear material should its leadership decide to pursue a weapon.
That reality has shaped Trump's approach.
Even as he employs now typical hyperbolic rhetoric, including threats that imply the annihilation of Iran's military and economic infrastructure, the president continues to leave open a path to a negotiated settlement aimed at preventing Tehran from crossing the threshold to a nuclear weapon.