US President Donald Trump warned that the US will strike Iran “very hard” in retaliation for Iranian strikes on US military assets in the region during a White House press conference on Wednesday.
"We're going to hit them very hard, because now it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming,” he asserted. “They're asking us not to do it, but you know - they tried to fire last night.”
"They sent five 8,000-mile-an-hour missiles at us," Trump emphasized. "They've already apologized. But you know, we have to smack them a little bit."
When asked about whether he wants further sanctions to be launched against Iran as part of sanctions legislation against Russia, he stated that he would like tariffs to be imposed on Iran. "That's what Lindsey wanted," Trump added, in reference to former US senator Lindsey Graham.
Trump says US will 'beat the f***ing s***' out of Iran
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump made similar statements that the US will “beat the f***ing s***” out of Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s overnight launch of ballistic missiles towards US military bases in the region, in comments reportedly made to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst.
“We’ll be hitting them hard,” Trump continued, according to Yingst.
Trump described Iran’s strikes as a surprise attack, allegedly telling Yingst that US forces had mere minutes to intercept the incoming Iranian missiles.
He also confirmed to Yingst that joint US-Saudi Arabia strikes against Iran-backed Iraqi militias were coordinated with the Iraqi government.
In regard to the status of communication with Iranian leadership after the renewed back-and-forth hostilities, Trump told Yingst that they will allow lines of communication to stay open and “let them keep talking.”
US-Saudi strikes on Iraq killed 20 IRGC operatives, Iranian advisors
Around 20 Iranian technical advisors and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives were killed in the joint US-Saudi strikes on Iraq, according to a Wednesday New York Times report citing an official familiar with the matter.
According to the official, the militias were targeted in an effort to combat the missile and drone launching capabilities of Iran-backed proxies.
Iran claims US struck Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian state media claimed that the US struck in West Azerbaijan, Iran.
Iran's state TV, citing an official, claimed that a US projectile hit Iran's northwestern city of Piranshahr.
No casualties were reported.