President Trump said late Wednesday that the recent US strikes on Iran are retaliation for the ships Iran attacked yesterday, and warned that if the attacks repeat, the response will be 'much harsher.' The statement was reported by Israeli media.
President Trump confirmed late Wednesday that the ongoing US strikes on Iran are direct retaliation for Iranian attacks on ships a day earlier, and warned that if the attacks repeat, the American response will be 'much harsher.' The statement, reported by the Israeli news site ynet, comes after a volatile evening of threats from the president, and lands as the US military continues operations against Iranian targets.
At 20:10 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported, Trump threatened to attack Iran again tonight, saying the US would 'hit them hard' — a claim first carried by Channel 14. Earlier in the day, at 16:40, the president said the US would 'probably' disable more Iranian ships tonight, and at 16:33 he said Iran had requested a pause for a funeral but then launched missiles, adding that the US had taken down 28 small boats. The latest escalation follows the downing of a US Apache helicopter, to which Trump responded with strikes described as 'very strong, very powerful,' as The Zioneer reported on June 10.
As The Zioneer previously reported, Trump had conveyed strong messages to Iran, warning that if Tehran attacks it would bear responsibility. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump instructed aides to signal via Qatari mediators that the strikes were a response to the Apache downing, not a renewal of all-out war. The administration has maintained a high tempo of military pressure, with Trump earlier declaring the ceasefire with Iran over.
It remains unclear whether the US will indeed conduct additional strikes tonight, as Trump threatened earlier, and the full details of the ship attacks that the president cited as the trigger have not been independently verified. The warning of a 'much harsher' response leaves open the possibility of further escalation.
5 developments
- StrongTrump threatens to 'blow the sh*t out of' Iran over Strait of Hormuz
- StrongTrump Threatens 'Very Hard' Strikes on Iran Tonight, Outlines Plan for Kharg Island Seizure
- DevelopingTrump threatens 'very hard' strikes on Iran if Hezbollah continues to cause trouble
- StrongTrump warns he may impose Strait of Hormuz tolls if no Iran deal in 60 days
Source and signal
- Internal intake