Trump announces 'large and powerful' strikes near Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that American forces were conducting "large and powerful" strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the action justified retaliation for attempted attacks on commercial shipping and US personnel in the region. The operation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the vital waterway.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: "The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz." He described the operation as a response to Iran's "failed attempt" to plant sea mines in the strategic waterway and a missile attack on a US base in Jordan, noting that eight Iranian missiles were "all successfully knocked down."

Trump issued a stark warning against any Iranian response. "If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level," he said, adding that a larger assault was "waiting in the wings" that would leave "very little" of Iran.

Radar targets hit

In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Trump provided additional details about the targeting of Iranian military infrastructure. "They tried to rebuild their radar because they can't see anything," he told the network, explaining that US forces "waited until it was almost built and then we hit it."

The president escalated his rhetoric further when discussing potential Iranian countermeasures. "If it goes a third time, they're going to be totally wiped out as a country," Trump said, warning that Iran would be "hit much harder" should it choose to retaliate against American forces.

Military confirmation

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed earlier that American forces had begun striking targets belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The operation followed "attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region," according to CENTCOM.

Rejection of diplomacy

Trump explicitly rejected reports suggesting he was seeking to pressure Tehran into negotiations. "I am not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table," he wrote on Truth Social, adding: "I couldn't care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement."

The president instead emphasized military and economic dominance over diplomacy. "I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing," he stated, asking: "They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"