Former Defense secretary says Iran ‘emboldened’ by conflict, ignoring Trump threats
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Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps reneging on large-scale threats involving attacks on Tehran.
“Clearly the Iranians have figured this out. They are not reacting to these threats, and they are taking very strategic positions with regard to this. And so, you saw them over the last week put forward again this Omani plan that they’re going to unveil at some point,” Esper said during an appearance on ABC News’s “This Week.”
“But these demands they’ve now raised last night show that they are emboldened, that they feel confident about their position in the world. And at the same time, they are flexing their muscles by using their proxies,” he added.
Iran has attempted to expand its control over the Strait of Hormuz by using the Houthis in Yemen to threaten commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, demonstrating another potential stronghold over energy transports.
“We know that the Houthis just this morning attacked a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea. Yesterday, Iran attacked a UAE ship. But they’ve also — they being Tehran — have tried to expand this conflict,” Esper said.
“There was a long shot taken at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea to show the range of their weapons. And they’ve gone so far as to threaten a U.S. ally, NATO ally, Bulgaria, about supporting U.S. operations from there. So they’re expanding the conflict in many ways,” he added.
Amid the chaos, Hezbollah and Israel remain at odds in Lebanon, further complicating hopes of a renewed ceasefire agreement.
Still, the president has maintained that Tehran is open to making a deal that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil transports per day under normal conditions.
“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said on Tuesday after traveling to Los Angeles for a fundraising event hosted by the Republican National Committee. “A lot of progress has been made.”
Iran has largely rejected the narrative, asserting that it’s seeking to make a deal with Oman for commercial ships attempting to transit the strait, absent of American influence or approval, while noting that vessels will be subject to tolls.
In the meantime, Tehran’s leaders have presented a list of demands for the U.S. to address in order to see the Strait of Hormuz completely reopened.
Esper said the demands are “ridiculous” and should be “rejected out of hand.”
“Demands such as the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the region, reimbursement for the cost of the war, the fact that … we would end our blockade, we would end sanctions. So, it’s gone beyond the pale,” he told host Jonathan Karl.
“But what it tells you is two things, Jonathan. First of all, they haven’t apparently left any room for negotiation, and we know that’s important. President Trump wants to pursue that, and rightly so. But secondly and more importantly, it shows that they believe they have the upper hand, they believe they’re winning, and they are emboldened,” he added.
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Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps reneging on large-scale threats…
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
Skip to content
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps reneging on large-scale threats involving attacks on Tehran.
“Clearly the Iranians have figured this out. They are not reacting to these threats, and they are taking very strategic positions with regard to this. And so, you saw them over the last week put forward again this Omani plan that they’re going to unveil at some point,” Esper said during an appearance on ABC News’s “This Week.”
“But these demands they’ve now raised last night show that they are emboldened, that they feel confident about their position in the world. And at the same time, they are flexing their muscles by using their proxies,” he added.
Iran has attempted to expand its control over the Strait of Hormuz by using the Houthis in Yemen to threaten commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, demonstrating another potential stronghold over energy transports.
“We know that the Houthis just this morning attacked a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea. Yesterday, Iran attacked a UAE ship. But they’ve also — they being Tehran — have tried to expand this conflict,” Esper said.
“There was a long shot taken at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea to show the range of their weapons. And they’ve gone so far as to threaten a U.S. ally, NATO ally, Bulgaria, about supporting U.S. operations from there. So they’re expanding the conflict in many ways,” he added.
Amid the chaos, Hezbollah and Israel remain at odds in Lebanon, further complicating hopes of a renewed ceasefire agreement.
Still, the president has maintained that Tehran is open to making a deal that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil transports per day under normal conditions.
“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said on Tuesday after traveling to Los Angeles for a fundraising event hosted by the Republican National Committee. “A lot of progress has been made.”
Iran has largely rejected the narrative, asserting that it’s seeking to make a deal with Oman for commercial ships attempting to transit the strait, absent of American influence or approval, while noting that vessels will be subject to tolls.
In the meantime, Tehran’s leaders have presented a list of demands for the U.S. to address in order to see the Strait of Hormuz completely reopened.
Esper said the demands are “ridiculous” and should be “rejected out of hand.”
“Demands such as the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the region, reimbursement for the cost of the war, the fact that … we would end our blockade, we would end sanctions. So, it’s gone beyond the pale,” he told host Jonathan Karl.
“But what it tells you is two things, Jonathan. First of all, they haven’t apparently left any room for negotiation, and we know that’s important. President Trump wants to pursue that, and rightly so. But secondly and more importantly, it shows that they believe they have the upper hand, they believe they’re winning, and they are emboldened,” he added.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Skip to content
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps reneging on large-scale threats involving attacks on Tehran.
“Clearly the Iranians have figured this out. They are not reacting to these threats, and they are taking very strategic positions with regard to this. And so, you saw them over the last week put forward again this Omani plan that they’re going to unveil at some point,” Esper said during an appearance on ABC News’s “This Week.”
“But these demands they’ve now raised last night show that they are emboldened, that they feel confident about their position in the world. And at the same time, they are flexing their muscles by using their proxies,” he added.
Iran has attempted to expand its control over the Strait of Hormuz by using the Houthis in Yemen to threaten commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, demonstrating another potential stronghold over energy transports.
“We know that the Houthis just this morning attacked a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea. Yesterday, Iran attacked a UAE ship. But they’ve also — they being Tehran — have tried to expand this conflict,” Esper said.
“There was a long shot taken at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea to show the range of their weapons. And they’ve gone so far as to threaten a U.S. ally, NATO ally, Bulgaria, about supporting U.S. operations from there. So they’re expanding the conflict in many ways,” he added.
Amid the chaos, Hezbollah and Israel remain at odds in Lebanon, further complicating hopes of a renewed ceasefire agreement.
Still, the president has maintained that Tehran is open to making a deal that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil transports per day under normal conditions.
“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said on Tuesday after traveling to Los Angeles for a fundraising event hosted by the Republican National Committee. “A lot of progress has been made.”
Iran has largely rejected the narrative, asserting that it’s seeking to make a deal with Oman for commercial ships attempting to transit the strait, absent of American influence or approval, while noting that vessels will be subject to tolls.
In the meantime, Tehran’s leaders have presented a list of demands for the U.S. to address in order to see the Strait of Hormuz completely reopened.
Esper said the demands are “ridiculous” and should be “rejected out of hand.”
“Demands such as the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the region, reimbursement for the cost of the war, the fact that … we would end our blockade, we would end sanctions. So, it’s gone beyond the pale,” he told host Jonathan Karl.
“But what it tells you is two things, Jonathan. First of all, they haven’t apparently left any room for negotiation, and we know that’s important. President Trump wants to pursue that, and rightly so. But secondly and more importantly, it shows that they believe they have the upper hand, they believe they’re winning, and they are emboldened,” he added.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps reneging on large-scale threats…