President Donald Trump announced that U.S. military strikes against Iran will continue until he decides they should stop, comparing the nation to a "great boxer." Speaking to Fox News, Trump indicated that significant strikes would occur over the next two days, with the potential for escalation to energy targets, such as power plants and bridges, as early as the following week if negotiations do not commence.
"We're going to hit them very hard tonight. We're going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We're going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants," Trump stated. He added, "I'll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets."
The president suggested he was hesitant to engage in immediate negotiations, citing a belief that Iran "lie[s]," though he also mentioned recent contact with negotiators. Trump warned Iran to "make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left," emphasizing that U.S. forces have been careful to avoid harming Iranian civilians thus far.
These statements come as the U.S. military has reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports. This action follows Iran's recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, an event that has led to an interim ceasefire deal unraveling and renewed concerns about a wider conflict. The U.S. Central Command reported that the strikes were aimed at degrading Iran's capability to attack merchant shipping. Approximately a dozen civilians have been reported killed, injured, or missing as a result of Iranian attacks on seven commercial ships over the past week, according to U.S. military reports.
The military presence in the northern Arabian Sea includes at least 19 warships, two aircraft carriers, and an amphibious assault ship carrying over 1,000 Marines. Hundreds of military aircraft are also operating across the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command. The blockade officially began at 4 p.m. Eastern time, with the military strikes commencing an hour earlier. Iranian state media has reported explosions in the cities of Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas.