Washington – OnePress
US President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric towards Iran, stressing that recent US retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were only a “light slap,” in a new warning for further military escalation in the Gulf region.
Trump's comments came after the US Central Command announced strikes on Iranian military sites, including missile platforms, drones and command and control centers, in response to attacks Washington said Tehran had carried out against US naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the U.S. warships had not suffered any damage, adding that U.S. forces had “caused significant losses to the attackers” while calling the U.S. strikes “just a warning strike,” and adding that any new attack would be met with a “stronger and more decisive” response.
For its part, Iran accused the United States of violating the ceasefire understandings in place since April, while US Central Command confirmed that Washington “does not seek escalation,” but will continue to defend its forces and interests in the region.
These developments come amid rising tension in the Gulf and international concerns about the widening circle of military confrontation, especially as mutual threats persist and diplomatic efforts to stabilize the truce between the two sides falter.