Trump threatens further strikes after U.S.-Iran exchange

Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran on Monday after the first direct exchange of attacks between the two countries in a month. The confrontation followed a U.S. attack on Iran’s Larak Island and Iranian missile launches at two U.S. air bases in Jordan.

Military exchange

Iran launched missiles overnight at the two bases in response to the U.S. attack on Larak Island, where Washington said it had targeted Iranian launchers firing mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

The exchange underscored the potential for a conflict increasingly conducted through sanctions, blockades and economic pressure to return to military action. Neither side appeared to be seeking a full-scale war, but both indicated they would respond to further attacks.

A Fox News reporter quoted Trump as saying that the United States would respond. “We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump was quoted as telling the channel. “There will be a response.”

Trump’s comments

Speaking separately to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the renewed strikes did not represent a return to full-scale war. He described Iran as a “failed nation” whose economy and military had been severely degraded.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t smack them. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

Asked whether he had ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran, Trump said there was “no reason” to do so because Iran was already “totally defeated militarily.”

Trump also said U.S. air defences had downed all Iranian missiles capable of causing damage and that new U.S. economic sanctions were having a significant impact, Fox News reported.

Iranian response and social media post

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the overnight exchanges, the first since late July, were a “limited and contained confrontation”. The source said Tehran would deliver a harsh response if it was attacked again.

Earlier, Trump posted two videos on social media showing explosions at Iran’s main oil export terminal, accompanied by the message: “Kharg island being blown to smithereens!!!”

The videos were generated by artificial intelligence and no such attack took place. Iran described the post as “laughable”, while Vice President JD Vance said Trump “likes to switch it up on social media a little bit” and was “sending a message.”