Trump says Iran must ‘pay the price’ for delay
DUBAI/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the US would attack Iran again “very hard” following one of the most significant exchanges of fire overnight since an April ceasefire, accusing Tehran of taking too long to negotiate a deal. Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in what it said was retaliation for US strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, and said it would reassess diplomatic engagement with Washington. The latest escalation came after Trump said Iran had downed a US Apache helicopter near the strait. Its two crew members were rescued by a drone boat.
“Iran is all talk and no action,” Trump said in a social media post. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” Later on Wednesday, Trump told reporters: “We’re going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard,” adding that the US wanted “a deal that is meaningful.” He also said the US had been taking out “millions of barrels of oil” despite Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, adding, “and that’s why it’s at USD85-90 a barrel, instead of USD250.” He gave no details about these US operations. Brent crude futures were up about 1.6 percent at nearly USD93 just after 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT) on Wednesday.
The US military said it had targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites in what it said was a “proportional response” to the downing of the Apache. Iran’s Gulf neighbours and Jordan activated air defences to intercept incoming missiles. US Central Command later said its forces had disabled an oil tanker transporting Iranian crude in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday for a second consecutive day, part of the US blockade of Tehran’s energy exports to pressure it into making a deal. Asked about Iran’s attacks on American bases, a US official told Reuters: “No significant damage. No harm to US personnel. Nearly all missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach their intended target.”—Reuters
