US President Donald Trump has vowed that American military strikes on Iran will continue until he personally determines that the campaign’s objectives have been achieved, declaring that the attacks will not stop “until I say it’s enough.”
Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, July 24, Trump said US forces would “hit them very hard tonight, very hard tomorrow night” as part of an intensified campaign that would continue until he decides it has reached its goal.
“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump warned.
“We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants.”
Trump also said the US would target bridges the following week unless Iran agreed to negotiate a peace deal that included abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
He reiterated that the attacks would continue “until I say it’s enough.”
In an update late Tuesday night, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said another wave of strikes had been completed, targeting dozens of military sites near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s coastal regions.
“US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,” the statement said.
US forces also resumed a naval blockade against vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
The latest bombing campaign followed Trump’s notification to Congress that military operations would resume after Iran allegedly breached a memorandum of understanding by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump did not rule out deploying US ground forces to ensure his key objectives were achieved, particularly regarding the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium.
While US forces had sought to avoid harming Iran’s civilian population during the strikes, Trump warned that all options remained available.
“You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left,” he said.
The President also compared Iran to “a great boxer” that needed to be knocked down.
“You think you have them beat, then they’ll come back and give you a shot,” Trump said.
Later in the Fox News interview, Trump suggested he was not interested in continuing negotiations with Iran, claiming that “they lie.”
He also said his most recent contact with negotiators had taken place an hour earlier.
Trump praised members of his Cabinet for their handling of the Iran issue, including Pete Hegseth, while claiming that “oil is flowing like never before.”
He also announced that the US would replace the 20 percent fee it had been charging various Gulf States for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
