Trump Threatens 'Very Hard' Strikes on Iran
Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has escalated tensions in the Middle East by threatening a major military strike against Iran while also claiming that the United States has been secretly removing large quantities of Iranian oil. He did not provide evidence or further details to support either assertion.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the United States would strike Iran ‘very hard’ if the two sides fail to finalize a peace agreement. At the same time, he stressed that Washington remains interested in reaching a meaningful deal with Tehran.
"We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard," Trump told reporters at the White House. He also blamed Iran for the downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump further said an attack on Iran would take place on Wednesday.
He also claimed that the United States has been removing oil from Iran for an extended period.
"I'm just announcing today for the first time, but we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night," Trump said, adding that Iran "just figured it out."
"Millions of barrels of oil has come out, and that's why it's at $85-90 a barrel, instead of $250," he said.
However, Trump did not explain how such an operation was being carried out.
At the same time, he reiterated that the United States remains interested in reaching an agreement with Iran.
"We want a deal that is meaningful, we want a deal that works," he said.
Referring to ongoing negotiations, Trump also claimed that Iran has already agreed not to acquire nuclear weapons, although a formal agreement has yet to be signed.
Source: Reuters (adaptive)
