President Donald Trump has warned Iran that the United States could launch significantly more powerful attacks if Tehran retaliates against the latest American military action in the region.
Trump issued the warning as the United States carried out fresh strikes against Iranian targets near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports, the latest American military operation followed Iranian attempts to disrupt shipping in the waterway and attacks directed at US positions in Jordan. The US military has described its latest strikes as a response to threats against commercial shipping and American personnel.
@realDonaldTrump
The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan. If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran! President DONALD J. TRUMP
In a statement, Trump said the United States was striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz and claimed the attacks were carried out in response to an Iranian attempt to deploy sea mines in the strategic waterway.
He also said Iranian missiles launched towards a US military base in Jordan had been intercepted.
Trump warned that any further Iranian retaliation would trigger another American response, saying Washington had even more powerful military action available.
The president used particularly strong language in describing the Iranian government, warning that a much larger attack could follow if Tehran continued its confrontation with the United States.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the escalating US-Iran conflict because of its importance to international energy supplies and commercial shipping.
The White House has previously said US forces have cleared mines from international shipping lanes and maintained control of the waterway.
The latest military escalation comes after months of intermittent confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier US operations had already targeted Iranian military infrastructure, while Washington has continued to combine military pressure with economic sanctions against the Iranian government.
The latest exchange has raised concerns about a wider escalation in the Gulf, particularly if Iran responds to the new American strikes.
For now, the focus remains on the Strait of Hormuz, where any prolonged disruption could have consequences well beyond the immediate US-Iran confrontation because of the waterway’s importance to global energy markets.
