‘Hit them hard again tonight’: Trump’s ‘little warning’ to Iran as war escalates again | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump, sitting in Ankara attending a NATO summit, is hitting the rhetoric of renewing the war with Iran after initially saying the truce with Tehran was “finished”. following that “small” warning that the US could strike Iran tonight (July 8).
President Donald Trump has said the US will launch more strikes against Iran, increasing pressure on Tehran and raising the prospect of a return to all-out war.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
Trump has said the Iran ceasefire deal is effectively over and has called negotiations with Tehran a “waste of time”.
The US attacks on Iran were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that disrupted international shipping.
US Central Command conducted strikes against Iranian military targets, including air defense systems and small boats, to degrade Iran’s capabilities to threaten maritime traffic.
The revocation of the oil waiver has the effect of reinstating sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, which could lead to higher oil prices and affect global energy markets.
Yes, other nations should be concerned because the conflict threatens to cut off oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting global energy security.
Read also | Fresh flare-ups in West Asia cloud India’s oil options in Iran
“We hit them very hard last night,” Trump said Wednesday on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. “He probably hit them hard again tonight.
“I’ll give a little warning,” he added. “But we’ll see how it all turns out. No, I’m not happy with them.”
Trump spoke hours after the US launched airstrikes against Iran and revoked an exemption that allowed Tehran to sell its oil globally, measures Washington said were in response to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz it attributed to the Islamic Republic.
The latest US strikes on Iran had a “tremendous impact”, Trump told reporters in Ankara, claiming they had destroyed radar systems Tehran was rebuilding, providing no evidence for his claims.
He warned that the US could escalate further. “Their power plants, power plants… if we have to, we’ll take them out,” he added: “The desalination plants… we’ll take them out if we have to. I don’t like to do that.”
‘We hit them very hard’: Trump warns Iran of more strikes
Asked if the conflict was entering the next phase, Trump indicated that military action was far from over.
“We hit them very hard last night,” Trump said. “He probably hit them hard again tonight.
And he added: “I’ll give a little warning. But we’ll see how it all turns out. No, I’m not happy with them.”
Trump later reiterated that the latest strikes were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They are behaving very badly,” he said, accusing Iran of launching drones and missiles at ships.
Read also | US-Iran News LIVE: Trump warns US may strike Iran again tonight
The president also stated that the ceasefire agreement had effectively collapsed.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire. Although he said the talks could continue, he questioned their value, adding: “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting time.”
Trump says US can ‘denuclearize’ Iran ‘without deal’
“It’s the denuclearization of Iran,” the US president said of what US goals are in Iran, expressing frustration with Iran’s negotiating team when he said they “lied” about what was discussed during the closed-door talks.
“I don’t even know if we’re going to have a deal, we can just do it without a deal because you know what? It’s easier,” Trump said, without specifying how the US would achieve its goals outside of negotiations.
US strikes target Iranian military infrastructure
According to the U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces struck a number of Iranian military targets designed to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic. The operation reportedly targeted air defense systems, radar equipment and more than 60 small boats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
These fast attack vessels were critical to Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict. The latest escalation immediately jolted global energy markets, with Brent crude prices up more than five percent after Trump’s comments raised fears of further oil supply disruptions.
Read also | Oil prices jump nearly 6% after Trump says truce with Iran is ‘over’
The U.S. Central Command said the military was “prepared to hold Iran accountable when the deal is not honored or respected,” adding that the latest wave of strikes had ended.
Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Mahshahr, where a member of the Revolutionary Guards was killed, as well as attacks near Bushehr, home to one of Iran’s main nuclear facilities.
Iran retaliates as Bahrain and Kuwait activate missile alerts
Hours after the US strikes, Bahrain and Kuwait activated air raid sirens and missile alerts as Iran admitted launching attacks on US military installations in both Gulf states.
Read also | Trump is “very disappointed” with the response of NATO allies to the Iran war
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted US bases, while Kuwaiti authorities said they intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones. Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity said falling debris damaged several power lines.
The oil waiver was lifted as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated
Along with the military action, the Trump administration revoked a license that temporarily allowed Iran to sell oil openly in U.S. dollars as part of an interim ceasefire deal.
The move followed new attacks on merchant vessels. One tanker sailing off the coast of Oman caught fire after it was hit, according to the UK Maritime Trade Centre. Iranian state television said the vessel ignored repeated warnings but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack.
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said the tanker was carrying Qatari natural gas and described the incident as an “unacceptable attack” on international shipping and global energy security. He added that Qatar considers Iran to have “full legal responsibility”.
