Trump: Iran Blockade Working
As the US president claims the naval blockade is putting economic pressure on Tehran, a Democratic senator accuses him of prioritizing trips with aide Natalie Harp over addressing the crisis.
As the US president claims the naval blockade is putting economic pressure on Tehran, a Democratic senator accuses him of prioritizing trips with aide Natalie Harp over addressing the crisis.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday, August 17, 2026, in an interview with Fox News that the naval blockade of Iran continues to exert new economic pressure on the country, despite public claims by Iranians to the contrary. Trump assessed that Tehran is not currently ready for a diplomatic solution with the United States.
Asked about the negotiations between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump threatened that the US would "bomb the hell out of" Oman if they got in the way. He also dismissed reports of low ammunition stockpiles, saying what they've used so far is "peanuts."
He also commented on Kushner's negotiations with Hamas and Israel, asserting that Hamas will eventually surrender its weapons and be ready for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Regarding the upcoming Israeli elections in October 2026, Trump said he would stay out of them but "might endorse someone."
On the same day, Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia sharply criticized Trump at a rally over his relationship with aide Natalie Harp, claiming he prefers "traveling with Natalie" over fulfilling his duties. Referring to the conflict with Iran and the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the Democratic senator issued a direct rebuke to the president.
"While sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he wastes our ammunition and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings," Ossoff said.
He added: "He plays golf and trades stocks. You see, he doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie in their seemingly helpless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar."
Natalie Harp (35) is an executive assistant to President Trump and was among three aides who accompanied him during a recent aircraft change, which occurred due to a possible threat of an Iranian missile attack. She was joined by Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, and Walt Nauta, who oversees Oval Office operations.
In contrast, Trump did not bring Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, or the White House press pool. She was born in California into a deeply religious Christian family and earned her MBA from Liberty University in 2015. She caught Trump's attention in 2019 when she praised him for signing the federal Right to Try Act, which she said gave her hope in her battle against stage 2 bone cancer.
From 2020 to 2022, she worked as a television anchor for One America News Network, and in January 2025, Trump appointed her as executive assistant to the president. Her father, a real estate agent who founded a travel agency consulting firm, tragically took his own life in 2020.
Her estranged brother, Preston Harp, told the Daily Mail in June that her association with Trump is "very unhealthy." Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt then stated that Natalie Harp is among the most loyal and valuable aides in Trump's team.
