President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the Iranians 'know that we are going to attack them today,' adding that they asked the U.S. not to carry out the operation. The statement, the latest in a series of escalating threats from Trump over the past hour, reaffirms his vow to strike Iran 'very hard.'
President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran for the third time in under an hour on Wednesday evening. At 22:43 Jerusalem, Trump said the Iranians 'know that we are going to attack them today' and added that they asked the U.S. not to carry out the operation. 'We will hit them hard,' he said. The statement came two minutes after Trump declared 'now it's our turn to attack' at 22:43, and followed an earlier threat at 22:41 in which he said the U.S. would strike Iran 'very hard' after being briefed on an attack in Egypt.
The rapid escalation builds on a series of threats that began at 22:22 Jerusalem, when Trump first said the U.S. would strike Iran 'very hard' after being updated on an incident in Egypt, as reported by Channel 14 (The Zioneer, 22:22). Within minutes, multiple reports emerged: Trump said Iran knows the strike is coming (ynet), confirmed a strike today (Barak Ravid/N12), and claimed Iran asked the U.S. not to strike (journalist Yair Goldblatt). By 22:22, Trump had also cited an Iranian drone attack on a gas tanker in Egypt as justification (Israel Hayom, Abu Ali Express). The claims were repeated in quick succession, with the president escalating from a general threat to a specific assertion that Tehran had requested restraint.
The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday (15:31 Jerusalem) that Trump vowed to 'beat the hell out of' Iran after a surprise attack on U.S. forces. Over the past weeks, Trump has threatened strikes on Iranian infrastructure, nuclear sites, and leadership, as The Zioneer has documented. The current escalation follows a drone attack on a gas tanker in Egypt, which Trump cited as a catalyst.
It remains unclear whether the U.S. has initiated strikes or if this is a continuation of rhetorical escalation. The Iranian side has not yet responded to the latest claims. The assertion that Iran requested the U.S. not to strike is solely attributed to Trump's statement and has not been independently confirmed.
10 developments
- DevelopingTrump says US will strike Iran 'very hard' tonight, tomorrow, and the night after
- StrongTrump announces US strikes on Iranian missile depots and radar sites
- ConfirmedTrump says US response to downed helicopter is 'very strong, very powerful' as strikes continue
- DevelopingTrump: Iran fired on tankers in Egypt's Damietta; US will strike 'very hard'
Source and signal
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