US President Donald Trump once again raised his military threats against Iran. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said they are "hitting Iran very hard" and will continue to strike targets along its coastline.
"We're going to hit them very hard tonight. We're going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. And we're going to hit them very hard the night after that," Trump said, announcing that if Iran does not come to the negotiating table, they will take tougher steps. "If they don't sit down and negotiate, we will destroy all their power plants, all their bridges," he added.
The US President said the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is open to anyone who wants to pass, but is kept closed to Iran. "I was going to charge a fee, but instead they (the Gulf countries) prefer to spend a lot of money in the US, which frankly is better," Trump said, noting that operations in Hormuz will continue "until I say that's enough."
Trump also confirmed that they have attacked Kharg Island, Iran's main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, twice. "As for taking the island, if we can push them back far enough and deep enough, I'll do it," he said.
The US President argued that the only way to negotiate with Iran is "to use force." Trump's threat to strike civilian targets such as power plants and bridges had surfaced before, but was not carried out due to criticism that it would constitute a war crime.