DON'S THREAT: President Trump Warns of ‘Calm Before Storm’ in Cryptic AI Pic with Lightning Hitting Iran Boats as US & Israel ‘Plot New Strikes’
President Trump threatens Iran with gun-toting AI pic & warns ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy’ after claiming regime’s in ‘state of collapse.’ The US and Israel may resume Operation Epic Fury in just days.
By Joe Mannion
May 18, 2026
PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has warned Iran of “the calm before the storm” in his latest AI pic barb at the regime – as the US and Israel reportedly plot renewed strikes in days.
The president posted the AI-generated image to his Truth Social overnight, depicting him surrounded by warships as lighting strikes down from ominous clouds.
‘BETTER GET SMART’: President Trump threatens Iran with gun-toting AI pic & warns ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy’ after claiming regime’s in ‘state of collapse.’
President Donald Trump has posted another AI-generated pic threat aimed at Iran. Truth Social
The president is reportedly mulling renewed strikes against the regime. Shutterstock
In the foreground, President Trump points at the camera in Lord Kitchener style and is flanked by a decorated US naval chief.
President Trump is plotting another round of military strikes against the rogue state and his aides have already drafted plans, according to the New York Times.
Two Middle Eastern officials told the outlet that the US and Israel have been ramping up talks to restart their bombing campaign.
The president reiterated that Iran’s latest peace offer was unacceptable and has been unequivocal about his demands that they relinquish all nuclear ambitions.
Iran has held the vital Strait of Hormuz to ransom for months. Getty
The US and Israel may resume Operation Epic Fury in just days. AFP
President Trump has repeatedly targeted Iranian military infrastructure. TruthSocial
The president has previously through AI-generated barbs at the regime. TruthSocial
“I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence I just throw it away,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday.
President Trump warned that the “decimation of Iran” would be “continued” while heaping praise on the US military that evening.
The Pentagon is now reportedly planning the possible resumption of Operation Epic Fury – potentially under a new name – in the coming days.
War secretary Pete Hegseth said they have “a plan to escalate if necessary” during a congressional hearing this week.
He also revealed that there are plans to withdraw the mighty 50,000-strong force that has surged to the Middle East in the last three months.
If President Trump resumes strikes, it could include more aggressive strikes on Iranian military and infrastructure targets in a bid to free the flashpoint Strait of Hormuz.
It comes as Iran has unveiled plans to impose fees on ships passing through the embattled shipping lane.
STRAIT STANDOFF: Iran unveils plan to charge FEES to use Strait as defiant President Trump insists ‘we don’t need help’ reopening waterway
Head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee Ebrahim Azizi announced the mechanism to regulate traffic through the vital shipping lane on Saturday.
Under proposed plans, vessels would be charged “fees for specialized services” provided under the new system.
Azizi said: “In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it.”
He added that further details would be released in due course.
“The route will remain closed to the operators of so-called ‘freedom project’,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been shut by Iran since the war began on February 28.
The disruption has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, raising fears over oil supply and price stability.
A ceasefire came into effect on April 8 following Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to secure a lasting agreement.
Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump also announced “Project Freedom” in May, pledging to escort commercial vessels through the strait despite Iran’s insistence that all passage requires prior approval.
However, the president later announced a pause to the initiative.
President Trump has previously used AI pictures to threaten Iran, posting a gun-toting image warning “no more Mr Nice Guy” last month.
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President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image captioned “It Was The Calm Before The Storm” (a phrase he has used before, notably in 2017 with military leaders).
The image shows President Trump in a red “Make America Great Again” cap and white polo shirt labeled “Trump Commander in Chief,” standing on a U.S. Navy warship in rough, stormy seas.
He is pointing directly at the viewer (reminiscent of the classic “Your Country Needs You” poster), next to a U.S. Navy admiral in full uniform.
In the background: choppy waters, dark storm clouds, dramatic lightning bolts, multiple warships, and smaller vessels flying Iranian flags.
President Trump followed the image with a direct warning: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
He has also called Iran’s latest peace overtures unacceptable and demanded they abandon nuclear ambitions.
The timing aligns with reports that the U.S. and Israel are discussing renewed military options against Iran if nuclear talks collapse.
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Thank you, President Trump!!! The IRGC and Iran's Ayatollahs cannot do what's right to save their lives. They were "programmed" 3,000 years ago and can't change. It is not a religion; it is an evil.
This is no longer just “tension.”
It’s pre-conflict positioning.
The U.S., Iran, and Israel are moving closer to the edge
Not through headlines.
But through actions:
Warships in the Gulf Missile systems on alert Drone strikes near critical infrastructure
And behind the scenes?
Ultimatums. Stalled talks. Military planning accelerating.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
This isn’t escalation by accident.
It’s calculated pressure.
The Strait of Hormuz is at the center
A chokepoint for global oil and even internet cables.
Control it…
And you don’t just influence the region
And that’s why this moment is dangerous:
Not because war has started
But because everyone is preparing like it might.
No clear deal. No trust. No de-escalation.
Just positioning.
And history shows
That’s usually what comes right before something bigger.