US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Iran will need to "pay the price" for dragging out negotiations on a nuclear deal that would end the war.
"Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!"
He added, "They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"
At the same time, the President told Fox News that he is getting close to ordering strikes against Iranian power plants and bridges, saying the regime is "tapping the US along" in the negotiations.
Asked about a possible response to the Iranian missile fire against US bases in the region, Trump said he "may keep going."
"They had a chance to sign a deal and survive," the President said.
Late on Tuesday night, the US Army launched three waves of strikes on targets in Iran, responding to Monday’s downing of a US Army Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets.
"The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," the statement added. "US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression."