President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. will continue its strikes in Iran into the coming week, warning that it will hit the country “very hard” as tensions escalate over the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Will Save Energy Targets For Last
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, the President said that the U.S. was “hitting every single thing that they [Iran] have along the shore.” He then said that the U.S. has to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Trump also said that it would take Iran 20 years to rebuild all the damage sustained from U.S. strikes.
When asked whether the strikes will continue, the President said that they would “until I say that’s enough.” Trump also ruled out the possibility of a ground campaign against Iran, but said that the U.S. had “people that will do the ground campaign” on the U.S.’s behalf.
“I’ll save the energy targets for last,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. will “ultimately” hit Iranian energy infrastructure. He also said that the U.S. intends to hit bridges and power plants next week “unless they [Iran] get to the table and negotiate,” saying that Iran has “no choice” but to make a deal.
Trump Slams Obama Deal
Trump delivered sharp criticism of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal signed under the former President Barack Obama administration, calling it a “worthless piece of paper,” and reaffirming that the deal he would sign was a “wall” and that there would be “no nuclear weapon.”
Trump also said that the Strait of Hormuz was open to all shipping vessels besides Iranian ships, which, he said, cannot go in and out of Iran. He outlined that the U.S. was building pipelines. “We’re coming up with great alternatives, including Texas, including Alaska,” Trump said during the interview.
Trump Abandons Strait of Hormuz Fee
The comments come as Trump announced that he had abandoned the idea of a 20% fee on cargo ships traversing through the waterway, touting major investments made by Gulf states in the U.S. instead.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it was continuing to hit targets in Iran, reaffirming that a naval blockade of the waterway was in place.
Read Also: Trump's 20% Strait of Hormuz Fee Plan Has 'Absolutely Zero Chance,' Analyst Says
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