Washington launches strikes on Iran, Trump threatens it with even harsher retaliation if it responds

President Donald Trump threatened Iran with even stronger strikes if it retaliates for the US attacks. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, he said: “The United States is, at this very moment, striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. These strikes are wide-ranging and powerful, coming in response to a failed Iranian attempt to plant naval mines in the strait—which is currently free of any mines, as all have been removed or detonated—and also in response to the firing of eight missiles (all successfully intercepted) that targeted our military base in Jordan. If that failed state chooses to respond to this fully justified attack, it will face even harsher and significantly higher-level strikes.”

He added, “However, this will not be the largest attack ever. A bigger attack is waiting its turn, and when that attack concludes, very little of the Islamic Republic of Iran will remain.”

The US military had announced that its forces had struck targets belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that these strikes “follow recent aggressive attempts by the Revolutionary Guard to disrupt commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as attacks on US military personnel deployed in the region.”

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz would become a “strategically insignificant and formed” waterway within two years. He said, “The Iranians are trying to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. While it poses no pressure on the United States, it does on many other countries.” He added that “this situation will change within two years, as the Strait of Hormuz will become merely a waterway of little value, with oil to be transported via land pipelines.”

He emphasized that securing supply chains is vital not only for oil shipments but also for transporting “semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced technologies, and raw materials used in the production of many medicines,” stressing, “We must mitigate the risks of supply chain bottlenecks worldwide.”

Bessent stated that the Iranian regime “is finished,” arguing that Tehran’s rule would not remain in the hands of a small group forever, and affirming that the United States is determined to economically suffocate the Iranian regime and “will never tolerate it.” Speaking during a panel discussion on the sidelines of a Group of Finance Ministers meeting of the G20 in Asheville, North Carolina, Bessent said the Iranian people are “a great people” who can return their country to being a “normal state,” noting that they are being suppressed and emphasizing that “a small group cannot hold power forever.”

Regarding Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, Bessent said eliminating these capabilities had been difficult, noting that granting Tehran an additional 6, 12, or 18 months would have allowed it to develop missile defense systems to protect its facilities, potentially giving it more room to continue its nuclear activities. He affirmed that destroying these “barriers and protective shields” was necessary, confirming that those capabilities had been completely destroyed. Bessent stressed that the United States would work to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, retaining its current stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or continuing its activities through its proxy networks in the region, stating, “After 47 years, it is over.”

In the same context, the US Treasury Secretary confirmed that Washington would pursue “illicit assets” seized by the Iranian regime from its people, indicating the possibility of returning these funds to Iranians or directing them to victims of terrorism, including families of US service members who were on board the USS Cole or others. Bessent said, “We will continue to pressure Tehran. We have already had good discussions here.”

For his part, US Vice President JD Vance emphasized that the United States is working to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while the White House stated that President Donald Trump retains “all options” for dealing with Iran. Vance told Fox News yesterday, “We are currently working to ensure freedom of trade movement through the Strait of Hormuz,” warning that “the current Iranian leadership is ready to do anything to disrupt the flow of oil and gas without strategic calculations.”

In a related development, Al Jazeera satellite channel quoted an unidentified White House official as saying that President Donald Trump “retains all available options for dealing with Iran.” The US official added, “The Iranians want to make a deal with us, but their positions are always late and below the required level.”

The European Union expressed its “readiness to take further measures, if necessary, to ensure its security and interests, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” which Iran has blocked since the start of the war. French Finance Minister Roland Lescur said, “We will exchange views with the United States regarding what is happening.” He added, “The European Union currently has very strict and clear sanctions against Iran; we will of course apply them, and we will see if there is a need to go further.”

This coincided with leaks indicating that US Central Command had prepared a military plan to destroy Iranian surveillance and radar systems in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to recent US attacks in Jordan.

The European Union stressed the need to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz safely, without restrictions or the imposition of any transit fees, as diplomatic efforts continue to address tensions related to this vital maritime passage. EU Foreign Policy and Security Chief Kaja Kallas, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of European defense ministers in Ireland, said that ongoing diplomatic efforts had not yet achieved a breakthrough, affirming that freedom of navigation through previously open sea lanes remains a priority for the European Union. Kallas added, “We emphasize the necessity of restoring freedom of navigation; diplomatic efforts are ongoing, but they have not yet yielded any results.” She confirmed that the European Union rejects the imposition of “any transit fees” on these sea routes, noting that freedom of navigation and the security of ship movements constitute a fundamental part of European maritime security priorities.

Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed Al-Ansari said that discussions are ongoing between Doha and both Oman and Pakistan regarding efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. Al-Ansari said at his weekly press conference yesterday, “We are working with our partners to reach a peaceful solution and reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” warning that leaving the Strait of Hormuz crisis unresolved would lead to escalation and harm everyone.

In a related context, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, yesterday, stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the primary means to enhance peace and stability in the region. According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Ishaq Dar assured Araghchi that sincere implementation by the United States and Iran of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” is the only way forward to achieve peace in the region.

Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian clarified to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a meeting between them on the sidelines of the SCO summit that Tehran “is committed to the memorandum of understanding if the United States commits to it.”