Washington: US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran’s power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations, saying American strikes would intensify over the coming days.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump told media.
Trump said energy infrastructure would be among the last targets attacked in the expanding US campaign.
“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets, yeah,” he said. “Next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges.”
“We’re gonna knock out all their power plants. We’re gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” Trump said.
Asked whether he believed Iran was serious about reaching an agreement, Trump replied: “I think they have no choice.”
Trump said the strikes would continue until he determined that the campaign had achieved its purpose.
“They’ll continue until I say, it’s enough,” he said. “They have some fight left, but they don’t have much.”
The president declined to say whether the United States intended to seize Kharg Island, a key centre for Iranian oil exports. He also refused to rule out a limited ground campaign.
“I would say no, if I thought it was appropriate,” Trump said when asked whether he was ruling out ground action. “Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.”
Trump said the United States had already attacked Kharg Island but had spared its oil facilities because of the possible effect on the global economy.
“At some point we could,” he said about striking the oil infrastructure. “But I think it’s unlikely.”
Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to international shipping but was closed to Iranian traffic.
“It’s open if people wanna go through it,” he said. “We’re not opening it for Iran. That’s the only one it’s closed for. It’s closed for Iran both in and out, but it’s open now.”
Fox News cited shipping data showing that only 10 vessels passed through the strait Monday, less than 10 per cent of normal traffic through the critical waterway.
Trump said his representatives had communicated with Iranian officials about an hour before the interview. Asked what message had been delivered, he said: “You better make a deal. You’re not gonna have any, you’re not gonna have anybody left.”
