President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, stating that the United States may be forced to 'militarily complete the job' and that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist' following fresh US airstrikes on Iranian targets. The threat was posted on Trump's Truth Social account on Saturday evening after a series of strikes by US forces.
US Strikes Target Iranian Military Sites
The US Central Command announced it had conducted retaliatory strikes against 10 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone storage locations, coastal radar sites, surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, and minelayer capabilities. The strikes were ordered after Tehran allegedly attacked a commercial oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz using drones.
According to US Central Command, the strikes were carried out at President Trump's direction early Saturday morning. The military stated that the strikes targeted Iranian capabilities used to attack merchant vessels in the strategic waterway.
Trump's Truth Social Warning
In his social media post, Trump wrote: 'United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!' He added: 'There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!'
Oil Tanker Attack Triggers Response
The trigger for the US strikes was an attack on the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku, which was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil near the Strait of Hormuz. The US military also launched strikes on Friday following a separate attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely. The US Central Command claimed that 'Iran had a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement' but 'elected not to' when its forces attacked the Kiku.
Ceasefire Under Strain
The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreement and a memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month between the US and Iran, which preceded a potential peace deal. However, the Strait of Hormuz has remained a hot spot, and normal shipping has not been fully restored due to continued strikes. Prior to Friday, Tehran had warned that attempts to cross the strait along a route designated by the UN's International Maritime Organization would be 'unacceptable and completely dangerous' and that ships needed to coordinate with Iran.
Risk of Wider Conflict
The series of strikes in the Gulf highlights the risk that the war could again spiral out of control, despite the interim deal. The situation remains volatile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. The US has made it clear that it will continue to respond to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
