Trump warns of strong action against Iran tonight

President Donald Trump says the US military is ready to hit Iran “very hard tonight.” This means he might have given up on talks for peace.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also threatened to take “total control” of Iran’s oil and gas resources. His threats came after Iran announced it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the US and Iran started exchanging attacks on Tuesday night after Iran shot down an American Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. This made the situation in the Middle East even more tense. The US also carried out a second wave of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, leading Iran to respond with missile attacks on US bases in the area.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said these attacks are part of ongoing talks for a lasting ceasefire. He mentioned that the strikes were done in “self-defense.”

On Wednesday, the Iranian military ordered the total closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all ships, including oil tankers and commercial vessels. This closure followed a series of US strikes on important facilities.

The IRGC warned they would fire at any ship trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This route is crucial for one-fifth of the world’s oil trade and a main issue in Iran’s peace talks with the US.

Iran claimed the US made the ceasefire “practically meaningless” with its attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Iranian news reported strikes in many places, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and the southern towns of Sirik, Minab, and Karaj, which is west of Tehran.

Iran did not provide details on how much damage the strikes caused.

In his latest comments about the conflict, Trump said the US will soon take control of Kharg Island and “other oil infrastructure points” in Iran. He wants to take full control of Iran’s oil and gas markets.

He also mentioned that this would be similar to what happened with “Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly.”

Trump, who had said before that Iran would agree to a deal in “a few days,” accused Iran of taking too long to negotiate. He warned they would “pay the price for it” on Wednesday.

“Iran is all talk and no action. They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them; now they’ll have to pay the price!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also told Fox News that Iran had a chance to sign a deal and survive. He mentioned he might continue with more strikes because the talks are moving slowly.

Meanwhile, Iran’s attacks against the US continue to hit Gulf states. This paper reported that Tehran reacted to the US assault this week with strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.

Iran’s foreign ministry said it targeted US military assets in the region.