CGTN – US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US military is prepared to carry out further strikes against Iran “any time we want,” as Tehran vowed to retaliate and accused Washington of targeting civilian infrastructure.
“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we’re prepared to do another one any time we want,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The US military “took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said.
The US conducted a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday night. Iran later responded by attacking US bases and assets in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US military action, saying the strikes hit multiple non-military areas, including ports, communication facilities and other civilian infrastructure, causing casualties and property damage.
Iranian officials also said the US strikes hit a wedding party in southern Iran, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others.
The US Central Command said it was looking into the reports and stressed that the US military “never targets civilians.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry also called on regional countries to prevent the United States from using their territories and airspace for military operations against Iran. It also urged the United Nations Security Council and the UN secretary-general to fulfill their responsibilities and prevent further escalation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Deputy Commander-in-Chief Mostafa Izadi said on Wednesday that during the recent conflict, the US side deployed military equipment on a scale more than 10 times larger than Iran’s, but all failed to achieve its objectives.
He said the conflict had challenged perceptions of longstanding US military superiority, adding that senior US military officials had recognized the pressure posed by Iran’s strategic and military capabilities.
Iran’s top security official also vowed that Tehran’s new strategy in warfare, diplomacy and economic resistance would soon “shatter” US foundations.
“Iran’s new strategy on the battlefield as well as in the fields of diplomacy and countering the economic siege will shatter your (US) foundations,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei posted on X.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed deep concern over renewed clashes between the United States and Iran and urged both sides to immediately halt military actions and return to diplomacy.
“Guterres condemns all attacks against civilians. He recalls that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution,” Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said.
The UN chief urged Washington and Tehran to urgently resume dialogue, saying that a comprehensive and durable settlement can be achieved only through dialogue and negotiations.
Tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz remain high. On Wednesday, the US Central Command said that, as part of its maritime blockade operations against Iran, US forces had ordered 86 commercial vessels to change course, disabled three vessels and boarded two others for inspections.
Trump also dismissed speculation on Wednesday that he seriously intended to rename the strategic waterway after himself. When asked whether he really planned to rename the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “No, no … it was just thrown out there.”
Earlier Wednesday, Trump had floated the idea in a post on Truth Social, writing: “Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???”
The remarks came less than a week after Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” amid escalating tariff tensions with Canada.
(With input from agencies)
