AP
Dubai
United States’ President Donald Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that the US was preparing for another night of strikes, just hours after he said the ceasefire was over because of Iranian attacks.
A day after assaults on commercial shipping escalated into an exchange of fire on Iranian and US military targets, Trump renewed his past threats to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinisation plants, and to seize the oil-production hub of Kharg Island.
“We hit them very hard last night,” Trump said when asked about a possible return to hostilities. “We’ll probably hit them hard again tonight.”
Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, Trump said the strikes are continued retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of
Hormuz.
“They are behaving very badly,” he said of Iran, accusing the country of launching drones and a missile at ships. After three tankers were hit Tuesday, the US launched strikes on Iran, and Iranian forces retaliated by attacking American military sites in
the Gulf.
The latest exchange of fire raised fears that the war in Iran could reignite.
Trump fuelled those concerns by saying the interim agreement to pause fighting was “over,” although he added that he would allow negotiations to continue.
Attacks have repeatedly threatened the shaky ceasefire, but Trump’s comments added new uncertainty, and oil prices shot up after he spoke.
A renewed conflict could engulf the wider Middle East and would likely again halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial to the global economy. “For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire.
