Trump Vows to 'Hit Iran Hard' After Fresh Exchange of Fire in Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran "hard" after the two foes traded fire for the first time in over a month, while Iran's president warned that more fighting with the US was not in his country's interest.
Late Sunday, the United States said it had carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East. After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the US persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iran.
The exchange of fire raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the US president vowing to respond.
"We're going to hit them hard," Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. "There will be a response."
The United States said it attacked Iranian rocket launchers on the island of Larak to prevent Tehran planting mines in the key shipping lane. Washington said the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from laying sea mines in the crucial shipping route.
"US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz," the US military's Central Command said on X.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, saying they targeted US forces there. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it responded by targeting two US air bases in Jordan with ballistic missiles, claiming it had caused "heavy damage". Jordan's military said it intercepted eight missiles, without identifying their origin.
Tehran also claimed to have targeted US personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE said it had intercepted a drone over its waters but rejected claims that the Al Minhad Air Base had been attacked as "baseless".
Trump also told Fox that all the missiles fired at US forces had been shot down, except for one that was determined not to pose a threat.
State media reported that two people were killed in the US attack on Larak, with several others wounded.
Calls for Dialogue Amid Escalation
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later on Monday called for dialogue, saying, "We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region," at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding, "the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation."
In a separate statement quoted by Iranian state television, Pezeshkian said, "We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors."
Trump separately described Iran as a "Failed Nation" in a Truth Social post on Monday.
The latest exchange of fire began after the United States carried out strikes on Sunday against Iranian rocket launchers on Larak, a strategically located island near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from laying sea mines in the crucial shipping route.
Economic Warfare and Diplomacy
Iran has blocked commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, while the United States has maintained a naval counter-blockade against Iranian ports. Before the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, around one-fifth of the world's oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington announced last week that US forces had completed clearing sea mines from international shipping routes in the strait. "Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes," Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said.
An April ceasefire ended the most intense phase of fighting, while a memorandum of understanding aimed at a final peace agreement was signed in June. Diplomatic efforts involving mediators including Pakistan and Qatar have continued, but sporadic attacks around the Strait of Hormuz have repeatedly complicated efforts to reach a lasting agreement.
The United States has increasingly relied on what it calls "economic warfare", including sanctions and a naval blockade intended to restrict Iran's oil exports and access to supplies.
Accusations Against Israel
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing Washington into the conflict. Araghchi wrote on X that Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the US administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel.