Trump and Iran trade new threats after strikes exchanged

In a flare‑up of tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials exchanged threats after each side launched military strikes.

Trump warned Tehran that it would have to pay the price for “too long” in pursuing a deal, calling the Iranian military “a complete and total mess” and accusing it of “defeating” and “all talk and no action.”

The tension followed Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi’s pledge that the country would “leave no attack or threat unanswered,” after the U.S. struck an Iranian site following the downing of a U.S. helicopter in the Gulf.

Iran retaliated by striking 21 U.S. targets in the region, including bases in Bahrain and Jordan, and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit ground control stations and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s comments came a day after he said the U.S. and Iran were “in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” highlighting the stark contrast between his remarks this morning and yesterday’s statements.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqai condemned Washington’s “contradictory messages” as violations of a cease‑fire that could derail diplomatic talks.