Israeli media is reporting that Donald Trump has informed Israel’s government that he will resume attacks on Iran tonight. Military correspondent Itay Blumental claimed that Israel is also preparing for the US President to announce further military action “in the coming days”.
During a meeting on Wednesday, Mr Trump pledged to strike Iran “very hard”, adding: “We’re gonna hit them very hard. I can actually say that because there’s very little they can do about it. They’ve already apologised. But we’ve gotta smack them a little bit.
“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard. Because it’s our turn to hit them. They know what’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it.”
The remarks came in response to a journalist’s question about the conditions the US would need to meet to withdraw from the Middle East.
He told Fox News: “If they don’t make a deal, then I go back, and I finish the job. But that’s going to take them forever to rebuild. Already, it’ll take them many years to ever to rebuild.”
The 80-year-old president also insisted the US has control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has mostly been blocked by Iran since the start of the war.
“Only ships that we want to get through, get through,” Mr Trump said. His comments came just hours before hosting both Volodymyr Zelensky and the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House.
He told reporters on Air Force One: “Frankly we’re being very nice to a lot of countries that would not survive without us. And you know who wouldn’t survive without us? Israel. Bibi’s coming, he’ll tell you.”