Trump and Hegseth signal devastating strike on Iran
The U.S. is preparing airstrikes on Iran after an Apache helicopter was downed in the Strait of Hormuz, with officials warning of hard strikes while Iran threatens retaliation.
President Donald Trump made it clear that Washington will strike very hard, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that airstrikes on key Iranian facilities will be carried out on Wednesday.
Following Trump’s statements, an extensive meeting was held in the White House Situation Room. The meeting was attended by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
“CENTCOM will be very busy”
Immediately after the meeting, Pete Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. will proceed with hard strikes. “CENTCOM will be very busy tonight because we’re going to hit Iran hard,” he emphasized. The American Secretary of War added that Iran still has the opportunity to make a good deal, but so far has shown no willingness.
According to Hegseth, the strikes will be “strong and clear,” whether they happen tonight or tomorrow night. The goal, he said, is not to restart the war, but to create the conditions for a substantive agreement. Additionally, he mentioned that the Apache pilots who were shot down are in good health.
Trump’s statements on a hard response
Earlier, Donald Trump had stated that the U.S. will attack Iran “very hard” if no agreement is reached. “We’re going to hit them, we’re going to hit them very hard, we’ll repeat the airstrikes,” he told reporters at the White House, referring to the downing of the helicopter.
The American president reiterated that the deal with Tehran is ready and that the Iranians simply need to sign it. As he stressed, the new agreement completely prohibits the acquisition of nuclear weapons, unlike that of Barack Obama.
Iran’s reaction
From Tehran’s side, the Tasnim agency reports that Iran will target new American interests if the U.S. proceeds with attacks. Iranian military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that his country will not back down in the face of Trump’s threats. Meanwhile, the Mehr agency reported that air defense systems were activated in Fars province.
Mild increase in oil prices
In the economic sphere, oil prices recorded a mild increase, exceeding $94 per barrel. Trump claimed that the U.S. is secretly transporting millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz every night, contributing to keeping prices in check despite the tension in the region.
As he mentioned in his statements, this operation is conducted under extreme secrecy, with tankers sailing in the dark, taking advantage of the damage Iranian radars have sustained from previous strikes.
According to Axios, Iran recently rejected a proposal for a tripartite meeting with the U.S. and Qatar in Doha. Meanwhile, Israel has been placed on a state of highest alert following Trump’s latest statements.
