US President Trump has again threatened to strike Iranian power plants, saying that if Iran doesn't return to the negotiating table, "next week is going to be very bad for them because next week it's the power plants' turn." According to data from th

German Chancellor Merz told his annual summer press conference in Berlin on July 15 that government reforms are taking longer than expected and that U.S. tariff policy, in addition to domestic factors, has hit early recovery momentum and severely weakened recovery prospects. He said the decision to take on substantial additional borrowing was prompted by changes in the diplomatic and security environment—notably the situation in Ukraine and actions by some partners toward Ukraine—which forced a recalibration of fiscal policy. Merz did not name countries or leaders; his remarks have been widely interpreted as referring to U.S. President Trump.

1. "Very Serious" About 20% Toll Fee —A White House official said Trump is "very serious" about his plan to impose a 20% toll on goods passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a plan he has been trying to push forward for months. However, Trump doesn't always act on his ideas, and until this week, he refused to formally announce the plan—partly due to opposition from within his inner circle. 2. Assessment of CPI Data—US President Trump: Today's Labor Department report shows that the overall inflation rate in June was 3.5% annually, and the seasonally adjusted CPI monthly rate was -0.4%, the largest monthly drop in six years. 3. Blockade Only Iranian Shipping, Replace 20% Compensation Fee with Gulf Investment —US President Trump: The Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except those from Iran—because the Iranian leadership is filled with lies, violence, and malice, leading the country toward utter destruction. We will implement a complete blockade, but only for ships traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying goods related to Iran. I have decided to cancel the demand for a 20% compensation fee from the United States and replace it with trade and investment agreements reached between the Gulf states and the United States. These investments will be enormous. The days of Iran causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands are over, and more importantly, Iran will never possess nuclear weapons! 4. The United States has won again! — US President Trump: The United States has won again, and in an unprecedented way. 5. Demands Netanyahu withdraw troops from Syria and Lebanon — During a recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, US President Trump stated that the Israeli military should begin redeploying troops from Syria and urged Israel to take similar action in Lebanon. Trump believes that the presence of Israeli troops in Syrian-controlled areas exacerbates regional tensions and could lead to escalation, telling Netanyahu, "They don't want you there, you should redeploy." 6. Indicates the United States will reach substantial deals with Iraq and extract significant oil from Iraq — Before meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Trump stated that the United States will reach substantial deals with Iraq and extract significant oil from the country. “Iraq has enormous potential, thanks to its oil resources… We will reach many agreements. This will create a lot of jobs in both countries, and we will extract a lot of oil from that country,” Trump said, without providing specific details. 7. Stances that no one should charge fees for the Strait of Hormuz —US President Trump said on Tuesday that he believes no one should charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “I don’t think anyone should charge fees. I don’t like the concept of usage fees, but at the same time, it’s not fair that we’re protecting this strait for the whole world,” he told reporters. 8. Threatens to strike Iranian bridges and power plants, pressuring Iran to restart negotiations —US President Trump said that strikes against Iran will continue “until I say ‘enough’.” In addition, Trump said that the US held talks with Iran on Tuesday, urging Iran to reach an agreement. He also said that strikes against Iranian energy facilities would be saved for last. Trump threatened that next week we will destroy Iranian power plants and their bridges. Unless they return to the negotiating table, we will destroy all their power plants and bridges. 9. Meeting in the Situation Room to Discuss a New Round of Massive Strikes Against Iran —Three sources familiar with the matter revealed that President Trump convened a meeting in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss a massive offensive against Iran; the operation would be broader than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz. Trump appears intent on escalating the conflict, aiming to cause sufficient damage to force the Iranian regime to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept his demands on the nuclear issue.