Trump Threatens Strike Bigger Than Operation Epic Fury | Massive Iran Attack Next? | Firstpost Live

The conflict between the United States and Iran is escalating at a rapid pace. After another night of American strikes, President Donald Trump is now threatening an even bigger attack. The United States military said it had launched its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran. And the targets, they say, were Iranian military command centers, their drone storage facilities, communication networks, and maritime capabilities. And once again, it was the same justification Washington again repeated, that the strikes were aimed at reducing threats to commercial shipping from Iranian military. The latest strikes followed a sharp warning from the US president speaking to Axios. Trump said he was considering a massive attack, describing it as a bigger than ever before. He said he was close to making a decision and claimed the United States was ready to act. Please let this statement serve to represent until further notice that from this point forth, any and all damages done to ships, cargo, or anything related thereto will be paid for by Iranian money that the United States has in its possession and controls. These damages may be very substantial, but nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Iran's Foreign Minister Baserati also didn't hold back. He said seizing another country's assets to pay for unrelated future claims would set a dangerous precedent. The Iranian Foreign Minister also warned that once governments normalize the confiscation of assets, no country's money would be safe, adding that the resulting chaos would be neither pretty nor peaceful. In fact, miles away in the Philippines during the ASEAN Summit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio didn't mince words either. He said Iran should expect even tougher consequences if it continued on its current path. You know, guys, I saw Arachi, their foreign minister, who the other day say something about their policies, an eye for an eye. The president's policy is a head for an eye. I mean, honestly, that's what it's going to be. I mean, they will pay a very heavy price for the things they're doing. They're already paying a very heavy price. You guys don't know it because you don't cover it. You're not in Iran. You're not in the street. They don't have a free media, but they're going to continue to pay a very heavy price. The Secretary of State even outlined what he called was Washington's ultimate objective in Iran. I think the U.S. is seeking a denuclearized Iran that will never have a nuclear weapon. The future of Iran, you know, that's obviously, you know, it would be easier to have people in charge that don't want nuclear weapons. But in the end, that's our interest. Meanwhile, the strikes appear to have no end in sight. Iran said it targeted infrastructure in Kuwait as part of its response, striking a communications tower. Iran claimed the attack was in retaliation for U.S. strikes. Later, Kuwait said its Abdali border crossing with Iraq had also come under hostile drone attack. The Strait of Hormuz has also remained at the center of the standoff. While the United States said the waterway remained open and commercial vessels continued to navigate safely with U.S. military support, Iran maintained that ships passing through the strait must coordinate with Tehran. The growing conflict continues to raise international concern. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said West Asia was getting out of control. He warned that the region was teetering on the edge of the unimaginable, and the conflict's ripple effects are visible globally. Oil prices have jumped dramatically, with Brent crude searching past $100 a barrel, a level that has not been seen in recent months. It is evident that the situation remains extremely volatile. Iran warns of eye for an eye, retaliation for any American strikes on its infrastructure. Meanwhile, the United States says it is ready to launch a large-scale attack. First Post reports from the world's second largest continent. Hello, I'm Alison McGrange. A very warm welcome from Durban, South Africa. We get you the news and the newsmakers from Africa. From elections to climate change to innovations and opportunities. As the world's attention shifts, we report from Africa, the heart of the global south. Join me every weekday live on First Post.