President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States would retaliate against any Iranian attack with a ratio of 20 strikes for every one, after declaring the ceasefire between the two countries “over” following renewed clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Every time they hit us, we hit them 20,” Trump told reporters, speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara. US Central Command said American forces struck roughly 90 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone storage sites and air defense systems, in a second consecutive night of strikes. The retaliation followed Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the strait earlier in the week, prompting Washington to revoke a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil under last month’s ceasefire deal.
Trump, who has recently referred to Iran’s leadership in increasingly hostile terms, said Iran was “scum” and called it a waste of time dealing with the country, adding he was uncertain whether he still wanted to reach a deal. He said the US would prefer negotiations but warned it could disable Iran’s bridges and energy supply within hours if the fighting escalates further. He also raised the possibility of reinstating a naval blockade on Iranian ports and claimed he had become Iran’s top target for assassination, saying “I may be gone too.”
Iranian officials pushed back, with the Foreign Ministry accusing Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 through what it called unilateral, aggressive actions, and vowing to protect Iran’s sovereignty and national interests. Iranian state television reported explosions in several cities, including Chabahar and Konarak, and said a firefighter was killed in a strike on Iranshahr Airport. Sirens sounded in Bahrain amid fears of further regional spillover, and Kuwait separately condemned Iranian strikes on its territory.
The exchange came just hours after Iran buried its assassinated Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, following a six-day funeral in which mourners repeatedly called for revenge against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Oil prices surged on the news, with Brent crude jumping nearly 8% to trade above $80 a barrel.
