Trump's statements came just hours after the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had conducted a significant military operation within Iranian territory.
According to the official statement, U.S. forces attacked approximately 80 military targets on July 7, including more than 60 fast boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Washington maintained that the offensive aimed to impose "a high cost" on Iran for violating the ceasefire by attacking three commercial vessels navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.
An unnamed U.S. official warned that the continuation of operations will depend solely on the Iranian reaction.
"Everything depends on Iran's response. If they continue to fire, what happened last night could become a daily or even weekly occurrence. We are prepared", the source assured.
Trump also revealed that he considers himself the main target of the Iranian regime. "I am number one on their list", he commented before joking with the present journalists: "If I go down, you all go down too, so maybe some of you want to change professions."
The statements reflect that, despite the possibility of negotiation, tension between Washington and Tehran remains at one of its most delicate moments, with direct military confrontations and threats of even greater escalation in the region.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that Iran has once again expressed its interest in reaching an agreement with Washington, although he made it clear that he distrusts the intentions of the Islamic regime following recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
During statements to reporters aboard Air Force One, after participating in the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump assured that Tehran changed its stance after having declared the existing memorandum of understanding between both parties to be over.
"They have very little left and they want to make a deal desperately", the president asserted. However, he questioned whether the Iranian regime is willing to honor any commitment it signs. "I don't know if they are worthy of making a deal. I don't know if they will respect it; that's the problem", he stated.
The president of the USA, Donald Trump
Trump also accused Iran of acting inconsistently by attacking commercial ships while, according to him, seeking to reopen negotiations."They are a bit out of control. If they really want a deal, why did they attack commercial vessels?", he asked in reference to the incidents recorded in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic maritime routes for oil trade.
The U.S. president also issued a stern warning about Washington's military response. "Every time they hit us once, we will respond twenty times", he declared. He explained that the United States had already carried out an offensive during the night of Wednesday and the subsequent Iranian attacks were, in his opinion, retaliation for that operation.
