US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened more strikes on Iran after US helicopter collision with Iranian drone. The United States launched airstrikes earlier in the day against Iran, and Trump said more were on the way, as Tehran fired back at countries in the region. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled peace negotiations. Trump’s warning came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan – all of which host US troops – came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month ceasefire. On Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.
We’re going to hit them again hard today: Trump on Iranย
“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He wouldn’t say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants in Iran. He urged Iran to sign a deal with the US.
“We were really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along,” Trump said. Trump’s comments underlined the American leader’s whipsaw approach to the war.โ
He suggested on Monday that a deal to end the conflict could be reached in a matter of days. Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy bombing. It is betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas – gives it a strong bargaining chip.
Both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflictย
Still, both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict – if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.
Since the US and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb 28, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world, and made food and other basics more expensive. The international benchmark for crude oil traded above USD 92 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.
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