Ambassador Mike Waltz was on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream to talk about the pause on the strikes on Iran.
Waltz explained that the military has been greatly strengthened since President Trump resumed office. He explained that President Trump is readily prepared with the military to continue striking Iran when it becomes necessary.
“We are in a pause in these nightly strikes we have been doing with respect to Iran,” Bream said.
“What is the timeline for deciding whether we resume?” Bream asked.
“The President said we are locked and loaded. Even more assets are going into theatre, but he is giving talk some space,” Waltz commented.
“There are a lot of folks who say it’s a senseless mission. We can never trust the Iranians. Why continue talking with them? The only thing that they really respond to is this brute military force,” Bream said.
“The IRGC controls 40 to 50 percent of the Iranian economy. What you have seen in the last 13 days are strikes particularly focused on Iran’s terrorist activities,” Waltz said.
“The Iranian regime is isolated, economically devastated, militarily devastated,” Waltz continued.
“Inflation is spiking, the currency is tanking. Foreign currency reserves are gone, and we are starting to see the Iranian government even not be able to pay its own workers and even its own military,” Waltz explained.
“The Iranian’s leverage, this regime’s leverage over the Straits of Hormuz will drastically diminish over time,” Waltz said.
Ambassador Waltz explained that deals are being made in the Middle East and with US oil and gas companies, which will create many pipelines in the Middle East to potentially move millions of barrels of oil a day.
“They have made a fantastic and historic mistake by what they have done. But in the meantime, in the very near meantime, we have taken that leverage off the table by degrading and destroying their military architecture,” Waltz explained.
Watch:
WATCH: Ambassador @michaelgwaltz says President Trump is “giving talks some space” as strikes against Iran have paused. pic.twitter.com/hHL9Cydq7O
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 26, 2026
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