US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Iran that the consequences would “get much worse” if it launched further attacks on commercial shipping, hours after Washington carried out fresh strikes on sites linked to Tehran’s ability to threaten navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social after the strikes, Trump said the military action was retaliation for Iran’s alleged attack on three cargo ships a day earlier. “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” he wrote, while also sharing videos and an
Speaking to reporters later, Trump doubled down on his warning, saying the United States would respond with overwhelming force to any future Iranian attack.
“We hit them 20 to one. Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20… It was retribution for last night. They actually hit three boats, not two. When they hit, we hit back much harder,” he said.
The warning came hours after Trump declared that the interim agreement to end the conflict with Iran was “over.”
When asked whether the United States was returning to a full-scale military conflict with Iran, Trump said, “I don’t know, but we would win it very quickly.”
The US military said the latest operation was aimed at safeguarding international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes, following Tuesday’s attack on three cargo ships transiting the waterway.
“US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” it added.
IRAN WANTS DEAL BADLY: TRUMP
The president reiterated that the US had already “won militarily” in Iran, claiming Tehran had “very little left” and was eager to negotiate.
“They called a little while ago, they want to make a deal so badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal,” Trump said. “I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem.”
Earlier on Wednesday, before the strikes, Trump had signalled further military action.
“I’ll give a little warning: We’re going to hit them hard tonight,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Despite the latest escalation, Trump insisted the conflict would not turn into a prolonged war.
DEAL IS OVER: TRUMP
Speaking before the NATO summit, Trump said the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 had effectively collapsed.
“It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them,” he said when asked whether the interim agreement remained in force.
“If we make a deal with Iran, I’m not sure that will stick,” Trump later added. “I found them to be very dishonourable people.”
TENSION ESCALATES IN HORMUZ
The latest escalation came after Iran was reported to have attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The strategic waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed before the conflict erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has long been a key
While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, analysts say such incidents are often used to strengthen its negotiating position.
IRAN WARNS US OF RETALIATION
Reacting to the US strikes, Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, issued a stern warning in a post on X, saying, “Martyr Khamenei taught us not to fear America and showed that ‘falsehood will perish.’ Await the hard slap from the Iranians.”
Iran, meanwhile, said it had struck US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday in response to earlier American attacks on its infrastructure, which Washington said were carried out in retaliation for the attacks on commercial shipping.
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