President Donald Trump said he is preparing new strikes against Iran’s infrastructure after accusing the Islamic Republic of dragging its feet on peace talks and warning the regime that it will “have to pay the price.”
Trump told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst in a phone call Wednesday that he is “getting close to ordering new strikes against Iranian power plants and bridges.”
The president also accused Tehran of “tapping the United States alone when it comes to the negotiating process,” according to Yingst.
The comments came hours after Trump issued a fiery Truth Social post following the downing of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” Trump wrote Wednesday morning.
He also declared that Iran’s military had been devastated.
“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! ” he added.
During his conversation with Yingst, Trump reportedly described the dramatic survival of the two Apache pilots involved in Monday’s incident, calling it a “miracle.”
According to Yingst, the president said an Iranian drone struck the helicopter and became lodged between the two crew members. The drone caught fire but did not explode.
“And these pilots very quickly, within seconds, because they’re flying very low, take the helicopter down into the sea,” Yingst explained, recalling what the president told him.
US Central Command later said the two pilots were rescued roughly two hours after the crash. The operation reportedly marked the first time an unmanned sea drone had been used to recover downed American aviators.
The US launched what officials described as “self-defense strikes” against Iran on Tuesday night in response to the helicopter attack.
According to Fox News, Trump said he ordered overnight strikes targeting runways, radar systems and air defense sites that Tehran had attempted to rebuild during the recent ceasefire.
US forces “took out about 55% of what they [Iran] were even able to rebuild,” the outlet said, citing Trump.
Iran answered with drone and missile attacks Wednesday morning aimed at military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Despite the escalating violence, Trump had continued to express optimism about diplomacy as recently as Wednesday, saying efforts to reach a deal with Tehran were in their “final throes” and suggesting an agreement could still be reached within “two to three days.”
But his latest comments signaled that patience with Iran may be running out as tensions in the region continue to intensify.
Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>
