Trump: "We Will Hit Iran Even Harder Today"... Iran Vows to "Stand Firm"

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (local time), "We hit Iran hard yesterday. Today we will hit Iran again even harder."

President Trump made the announcement during a meeting with reporters at the White House, adding, "Just in case you missed it or didn't have your television on."

Regarding his earlier post on the social media platform Truth Social warning Iran that they "will have to pay the price," Trump emphasized that it meant "we will be attacking them very hard," adding that it was "based on the helicopter incident."

His remarks are interpreted as an intention to continue the "retaliatory strikes" launched the previous day in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter by an Iranian drone.

"At first they said they didn't do it, but later they admitted it," Trump explained, adding, "because we have the unexploded ordnance [that lodged in the helicopter's fuselage]."

Regarding his comments in a Fox News interview that airstrikes on Iranian power plants and bridges were imminent, Trump reiterated, "I can do that," and "I can disable [them]."

In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed Trump's remarks as a mere expression of desperation and vowed to stand firm.

Pezeshkian wrote on the social media platform X, "Critical infrastructure is the lifeline of our people. From transportation networks to the power and water industries, threatening to target these facilities is by no means a show of strength, but rather proof of desperation in the face of Iran's strong will."

He added, "Iran will stand firm against any pressure or threat, relying on the knowledge and capabilities of our experts, as well as national unity and solidarity."

Trump said, "We will see how the talks proceed. We are really close to a deal," adding, "All they have to do is sign the [agreement] document."

However, he claimed that Iran is "stalling even though the negotiations are completely done," arguing that the reason is because "the [agreement] document is very meaningful."

He then criticized the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed during former President Barack Obama's administration, calling it "the worst and most foolish document I have ever seen."

Trump repeatedly claimed that Iran would have obtained nuclear weapons if he had not withdrawn from the JCPOA during his first term.

"If they had nuclear weapons, there would be no Israel and no Middle East, and they certainly would have attacked us," Trump said.

He added, "Iran can never have nuclear weapons, and it will not, and they have already agreed to this."

Trump also stated, "We have been pulling millions of barrels of oil out [of the Strait of Hormuz] every night," adding, "This is the first time I'm announcing this."

This implies that oil tankers that had been trapped in the Strait of Hormuz due to Iran's blockade are now making their way out.

He projected that thanks to this oil supply, "oil prices are at the $85 to $90 level instead of $250 per barrel," predicting that "once the war is over, [prices] will plummet."

On the same day, President Trump signed into law the $70 billion immigration enforcement funding bill, known as the Secure America Act, which had passed both the Senate and the House, finalizing the legislative process.

"I am very pleased to sign the Secure America Act," Trump said. "Through this, we will provide immediate and full funding for the Department of Homeland Security until the end of my term, so we won't have to talk about this issue anymore."

The law primarily provides three years of funding, through the end of Trump's second term, for agencies responsible for cracking down on undocumented immigrants, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.