U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is going to attack Iran "very hard" if no peace deal is finalized, and announced that the United States has been taking oil out of Iran.
"We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard," Trump told reporters at the White House, citing Iran's downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s warnings at the White House and on social media came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan—all of which host U.S. troops—came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month ceasefire. On Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.
“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House hours after U.S. Central Command said it struck Iranian military sites.
Shortly after Trump spoke, the U.S. military said it had fired on an oil tanker trying to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockage on Iranian ports. It was the eighth merchant vessel disabled in the waters off Iran, U.S. Central Command announced in a social media post on Wednesday.
Trump also revealed that the United States has been taking oil out of Iran.
"I'm just announcing today for the first time, but we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night," Trump said, adding that Iran "just figured it out."
"Millions of barrels of oil has come out, and that's why it's at $85-90 a barrel, instead of $250," Trump said, sharing no other details about these operations.
Trump wouldn’t say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants in Iran. He urged Iran to sign a deal with the U.S.
“We were really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along,” Trump said. "We want a deal that is meaningful, we want a deal that works," he added.
Strikes by the US and Iran Shake the Middle East
In the latest strikes, U.S. fighter jets targeted “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites,” the military’s Central Command said.Iran said U.S. strikes hit two water reservoirs in its southern city of Sirik, cutting off water to thousands of people. Iran’s state media published video of what it said was a damaged reservoir, though the Associated Press could not immediately verify the footage.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran’s top diplomat vowed that there would be a response, and Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted an airbase the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The base has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency reported there were no injuries.
Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, without elaborating.