US launches fresh strikes on Iran, Trump warns of stronger military action

The United States launched a fresh round of strikes against multiple targets in Iran with President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warning Tehran that military pressure would intensify unless it agreed to a nuclear deal with WashingtonThe latest operation began at 515 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday when US Central Command CENTCOM launched what it described as additional selfdefence strikes against multiple targets in Iran at the direction of President TrumpCentral Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard and we will be Hegseth told reporters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida after meeting CENTCOM commanders Iran has a chance to make a good deal a great deal to codify what they said theyve been willing to do and they havent been willing to do it At the White House Trump said Iran had failed to follow through on negotiations despite months of talksIve been working with Iran for a number of months and they should sign the deal Trump said Its a good deal It doesnt give them the right to have a nuclear weapon In fact it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weaponThe renewed strikes came after Iran shot down a US Army AH64 Apache helicopter near Oman on Monday Trump said the helicopter crew had been rescued safely but vowed continued military action We hit them hard yesterday and were gonna hit them again hard today he said Well see what happens with the deal We were really close to a deal But they keep tapping us along They keep playing us for suckersCENTCOM said the strikes were launched in response to Irans unwarranted and continued aggression Earlier in the day the command also announced that US forces had disabled another tanker attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of an Americanled blockadeAccording to CENTCOM a US aircraft fired precision munitions into the engine room of the Palauflagged tanker MT Settebello after its crew repeatedly failed to comply with instructionsHegseth said military operations around the Strait of Hormuz remained central to US strategy He claimed that Project Freedom had enabled more than 100 million barrels of oil to transit safely through the waterway under American protectionThe United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz Hegseth said Were able to bring oil in and out and other things with partners and have done so now for weeks and weeks in ways the Iranians dont want to acknowledge The Pentagon chief said CENTCOM had significantly weakened Irans military capabilities and warned that additional strikes could followIran has an opportunity to make a deal he said President Trump is a deal maker the best in the world Hes prepared to make that deal Iran would be wise to take it Trump echoed that message saying military action and diplomacy were being pursued simultaneously Very simply Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and they wont he said All they have to do is they have to start signing a paperThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever