President Donald Trump dismissed reported Iranian threats against major American companies on Tuesday, openly questioning their credibility and using the exchange to highlight what he described as the near-total dismantling of Iran’s military capabilities following weeks of U.S. operations.
During a back-and-forth with reporters at the White House on March 31, 2026, Trump repeatedly pressed for specifics after being asked about warnings issued by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting U.S. technology firms operating in the Middle East. The exchange quickly turned confrontational as the president challenged the premise of the threat itself.
Reporter: “Mr. President, the Iranian government threatened a bunch of US companies today in the region including Google, Apple..”
Trump – “With what? What did they threaten with? BB guns?”
Reporter: The Iranian government threatened a bunch of U.S. companies today in the region, including Google and Apple….
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 31, 2026
Trump: With what—BB guns? pic.twitter.com/rfBZtC6wJ3
Reporter- “Well, that’s a threat.”
Trump- “What did they threaten him with?”
Reporter- “I don’t know.”
Trump- “Tell me, how did they threaten us?”
Reporter- “Well, all I know is that they threatened him, sir.”
Trump – “What does that mean? They said something nasty?”
Reporter- “Are you or the government in touch with these companies? Are you helping to backs stop them?”
Trump – “You don’t even know what the threat was. What was the threat? I haven’t heard it. What was the threat? Did they say they’re going to blow them up? You know what they’re not going to do? They’re not going to hit him with a nuclear weapon.”
Reporter- “Is it something you’re concerned about, sir? Iran’s IRGC issues a warning that they will target 18 US technology companies if the US continues targeted assassinations of Iranian leaders beginning on April 1st. Those companies included Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft.”
President Trump: “Most of those people are dead already.”
The remarks came after Iran’s IRGC publicly warned it would begin targeting more than a dozen U.S. companies across the Middle East, including major firms such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others, accusing them of supporting U.S. military and intelligence operations. The warning followed a series of escalating actions in the region, including drone strikes on American-linked infrastructure and cyber-related disruptions affecting financial and cloud services.
Trump’s response framed those threats as largely symbolic, emphasizing the extent of recent U.S. military operations against Iranian leadership and infrastructure. He pointed to the elimination of key figures and the degradation of Iran’s military systems as evidence that the country no longer has the capacity to carry out significant retaliation.
The comments align with broader administration reports that U.S. operations have severely weakened Iran’s ability to project force. In recent weeks, American strikes have targeted missile production facilities, drone networks, and command centers, while also eliminating senior leadership figures
Trump’s remarks underscored that posture, portraying Iran’s threats as lacking substance while reiterating that U.S. actions have left the country with limited military capability.