President Donald Trump said Iran “called a little while ago” and “wants a deal so badly” after the United States launched a second consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets, but questioned whether Tehran is “worthy” of an agreement while warning that any future attacks would be met with overwhelming force.
Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday night, Trump said Tehran had reached out after the latest round of U.S. strikes, which reportedly marked the first American attacks on Iranian infrastructure since the April 8 ceasefire and followed Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said. “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know if they’re going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”
Asked why Iran would attack commercial vessels if it wanted an agreement, Trump said the regime was “sort of crazy” and “a little bit out of control,” even as he maintained Tehran was still seeking talks.
“They want to make a deal — badly,” he said.
Trump also argued the latest operation showed the United States had already achieved its primary military objectives, while warning that any additional Iranian attacks would draw an even more forceful response.
“We just hit them very hard,” Trump said. “We hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them twenty[-fold].”
The comments came after U.S. Central Command announced that American forces had completed an additional round of strikes against Iran, saying the operation was intended to further degrade Tehran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.
The command said the operation followed the previous night’s strikes, during which U.S. forces hit approximately 80 Iranian military targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats, after Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in violation of the ceasefire.
“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” CENTCOM said.
A U.S. official told Axios that Wednesday’s operation included strikes on two railway bridges in northern Iran, marking the first reported U.S. attacks on Iranian infrastructure since the April 8 ceasefire. Other reported targets included coastal radar systems, anti-ship missile positions, air defenses, and other military assets tied to Iran’s operations near the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also framed the strikes as direct retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If it happens again, it will get much worse!”
Vice President JD Vance earlier described the administration’s posture in similar terms, saying the understanding with Tehran was that Washington would lift its blockade if Iran stopped attacking ships, but would respond with even greater force if the attacks resumed.
“If you shoot at ships, we are going to punch back, and we’re going to punch back harder than ever before,” Vance said.
Iranian officials threatened retaliation, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning, “If you strike, you’ll get hit.”
“America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, insisting the Strait of Hormuz would open only under “Iranian arrangements,” not “American threats.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned the American strikes “will not go unanswered,” while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would “not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action.”
Kuwait said its air defenses were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks while air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain. Iranian forces had targeted U.S. military sites in both Gulf states following the previous night’s American strikes.
The latest escalation followed Iran’s attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington described as a violation of the memorandum of understanding intended to halt hostilities, restore freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway, and create space for negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Trump declared earlier Wednesday that he considered the ceasefire “over,” but said aboard Air Force One that Iran had nevertheless reached out seeking renewed negotiations, even as he questioned whether the regime could be trusted to honor any future agreement.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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