Trump Threatens Iran Strikes as Qatari Mediators Arrive in Tehran to Salvage Talks
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a new threat to Iran, saying they “have to pay the price” for taking a long time to negotiate a deal.
“Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” he warned.
Trump doubled down on his threat during an interview with Fox News, saying he was weighing strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges. “I may keep going. They had a chance to sign a deal and survive,” Trump was quoted as saying.
The US military on Tuesday launched “self-defense” strikes against Iran in response to the downing of an American Apache helicopter.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Wednesday its forces had struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets.
Consequently, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had launched retaliatory strikes against US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran would reassess diplomatic engagement with the US due to Washington’s “contradictory messages” and repeated ceasefire violations.
“In light of last night’s developments, we must review the situation,” he told IRNA. “Any diplomatic process is destabilized by resorting to force and illegal actions by one of the parties,” he added.
In a last-ditch diplomacy, Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Wednesday morning to narrow gaps between the US and Iran to finalize an agreement, Reuters reported, citing an official with knowledge of the situation.
