Trump: “We’re Attacking Iran Hard Tonight, They Asked to Stop”

Tensions in the Middle East escalated in recent hours to unprecedented levels. U.S. President Donald Trump promised, and this time delivered. The United States has begun bombing targets in Iran. The U.S. military will carry out additional strikes in Iran during the night, in response to the downing of an American combat helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. “We’re going to attack them very hard,” Trump declared at the White House. In a later statement, the American president revealed that he had spoken directly with Iranian officials who asked him to “stop the bombing.” According to him, “the bombings will stop soon,” but he left open the possibility of additional strikes. Trump added that “we hit them hard yesterday, and we will hit them again today.”

Defense Secretary: “We Will Hit Key Facilities”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who visited the U.S. Central Command headquarters (CENTCOM) in Florida, added severe threats toward Tehran. “We are going to attack hard in Iran tonight. Iran is going to absorb bombings on key facilities,” Hegseth said in an official statement. However, the defense secretary emphasized that the goal is not to reopen the war, but to pressure the Iranian regime into signing an agreement. “The bombings are meant to set the terms for a deal,” Hegseth clarified. According to reports, Trump updated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the move moments before U.S. forces went into action.

Iran Threatens: “The Missiles Are Ready to Launch”

In response to the American threats, officials in Tehran sent a particularly militant and sharp message this evening. “The missiles are ready to launch, and we are waiting for your stupidity,” the Iranian officials said, directly referring to the U.S. administration’s threats. Iran also issued a concrete warning: “The attack in the coming hours will be bitter.” Much of the Iranian message was directed specifically at U.S. Navy forces operating in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tried to downplay the severity of the incident and claimed that “the Strait of Hormuz is not in international waters, but is shared by Iran and Oman.”

Maximum Alert in Israel

Israel remains on maximum alert in its defense systems because of Trump’s statements. According to reports, refueling aircraft that took part in yesterday’s strike took off from Ben Gurion Airport. Security officials in Israel assess that the campaign against Iran is not over and that further strikes may follow. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security establishment officials doubt the possibility of signing a real agreement with Iran, according to a report on Kan 11. They prefer a resumption of hostilities and would like to receive the green light from Trump for an Israeli strike. It should be noted that the Home Front Command has not changed its defense policy across the country at this stage. Meanwhile, Trump also addressed tensions between Israel and Turkey. In response to a question from Channel 14 reporter Libi Alon, the American president made clear: “I like Erdogan very much. He is a very strong man. I don’t think that will happen with Turkey, at least as long as I am president, because Erdogan respects me and I respect him.”