US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to hit Iran "very hard", as reports suggested his administration was weighing a fresh wave of strikes as early as this weekend, potentially targeting the country's energy infrastructure.
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The threat comes after more than five months of conflict, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Since then, both sides have continued exchanging attacks.
"We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore,'" Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US officials, Trump has ordered preparations for a new military campaign aimed at pressuring Tehran to surrender, with operations possibly beginning this weekend.
Separately, CBS News reported that the United States and Israel are discussing coordinated strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and power plants, that could be carried out over the weekend.
Trump has repeatedly warned that Iran's critical infrastructure could be targeted. Last week, he said the United States would destroy a bridge or power plant every time ships were attacked in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
While CBS reported that Trump had not yet given final approval for the operation, it said Washington and Israel were closely coordinating the plans. The report came days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington.
The report also said some White House aides raised strong objections to the proposal during the cabinet meeting.
If approved, the operation would mark the first time Israel has directly joined a new phase of strikes on Iran since the opening weeks of the war.
