On his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump has warned Iran not to strike back at the US and Israel.
He wrote, "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"(sic).
Warning after Operation Epic Fury
Trump’s statement comes as Iranian officials signal plans for a forceful response to recent strikes. The US president has repeatedly defended American military action as essential to “defend the American people” and to counter what his administration describes as imminent threats from Iran’s missile and nuclear programmes.
Following the launch of “Operation Epic Fury” on Saturday, Trump addressed members of Iran’s security forces directly, urging them to lay down their arms or face “certain death.” He also called on the Iranian people to “take over your government” once hostilities subside.
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The tensions follow a joint US-Israel military operation that involved what officials described as major combat operations inside Iran. The strikes reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior members of Tehran’s leadership, marking a dramatic escalation in the conflict.
Iran launches fresh strikes
In response, Iran has launched another round of missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and Israeli sites across the Middle East. Explosions and air defence alerts were reported across several Gulf states, including Dubai, Doha and Manama.
According to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the American naval base in Kuwait’s Abdullah Mubarak area was hit by four ballistic missiles and twelve drones, leading to extensive infrastructure damage and casualties among US personnel.
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The statement also claimed that an MST-class combat support ship carrying fuel for US vessels in the Indian Ocean was struck by Iranian Qadr 380 missiles.
Tehran has described the latest wave of attacks as one of its most intense offensives so far, with multiple strategic targets under fire as retaliation continues.
