U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to launch new and more powerful military strikes against Iran, warning that Washington will not allow Tehran to continue operating under the current circumstances as tensions between the two countries escalate.
Trump said Iran would face a more severe attack if it retaliates against the latest U.S. strikes, adding that the upcoming operation would not necessarily be the largest of its kind. His remarks signaled that Washington may be preparing for a broader military campaign targeting Iranian positions.
Trump’s threats came as a senior Iranian military source told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that the country’s armed forces would respond to the U.S. attacks, warning that the response would be “many times greater” and that Tehran would act firmly and forcefully against any attack on its territory or interests.
Iran Vows a Major Response
The Iranian military source said U.S. interests and military bases across the region were coming under increasingly rapid Iranian attacks, stressing that Iran’s armed forces were prepared to respond to the latest American strikes.
U.S. forces had launched airstrikes on Sunday against Iranian launch platforms on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the platforms were preparing to launch missiles equipped with naval mines that could threaten maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
U.S. Central Command described the operation as a “limited and precise” action targeting forces affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), citing what it characterized as an imminent threat to maritime navigation.
Iranian Strikes Target U.S. Bases
The IRGC responded by launching ballistic missiles toward U.S. military facilities in the region, including the King Hussein and Azraq bases in Jordan. Reports also indicated that Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was targeted as part of the same operation.
The Jordanian military said it intercepted eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace, as regional tensions continued to rise amid fears that the confrontation between Washington and Tehran could expand further.
The latest developments follow several weeks of relative calm in direct clashes between the two sides, with the previous U.S. strikes on Iranian territory reported to have taken place in late July.
Trump Escalates Pressure on Tehran
Last week, Trump said the U.S. Navy had cleared the Strait of Hormuz of naval mines, while warning that Washington would adopt a policy of “zero tolerance” toward any renewed attempts to plant mines in the vital shipping corridor.
Trump also described Iran as a “failed state,” claiming that Tehran no longer possessed naval or air capabilities capable of confronting the United States. He reiterated that Washington would continue applying military and economic pressure on Iran.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a new package of secondary sanctions targeting foreign entities linked to the purchase of Iranian oil, further intensifying economic pressure on Tehran.
The rapidly unfolding developments point to a dangerous escalation between the United States and Iran, raising growing regional and international concerns that the exchange of strikes could evolve into a broader conflict with serious consequences for regional security and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
