US president says military campaign will expand unless Tehran returns to negotiations
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has warned that American military operations against Iran will intensify in the coming days, saying Washington is prepared to target the country’s power plants, bridges and additional strategic infrastructure unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table.
Speaking during an interview with Fox News, Trump said US forces were already conducting extensive attacks against Iranian positions and indicated that the campaign would continue until he decides otherwise.
“We’re hitting them very, very hard. We’re hitting every single thing that they have along the shore, along the waterfront,” Trump said, adding that the strikes would continue “until I say it’s enough.”
He further revealed that the next phase of operations could focus on Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, tomorrow night and the night after. Then next week it gets really bad because next week comes the power plants and the bridges,” Trump said. He added that the planned attacks would proceed unless Iran agreed to resume negotiations with the United States.
Washington drops proposed Hormuz shipping fee
Meanwhile, Trump also announced a significant policy shift regarding the Strait of Hormuz. He confirmed that the United States would no longer pursue a proposed 20 percent fee on cargo transiting the strategic waterway.
Instead, Trump said his administration would focus on expanding trade and investment partnerships with Gulf nations.
In a post on Truth Social, he stated that the decision followed “highly productive conversations” with regional leaders and predicted that Gulf investments in the United States would be “massive” while also benefiting their economies.
Although Trump did not identify any specific agreements, he expressed confidence that stronger economic cooperation would replace the proposed shipping charge.
Additionally, the US president said American officials remained in contact with Iranian representatives and insisted Tehran still had an opportunity to negotiate.
“They want to make a deal,” Trump said, warning that Iran had little choice but to return to diplomatic talks as military pressure continued to increase.
