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President Donald Trump vowed a forceful response against Iran on Wednesday, saying the U.S. would be “attacking them very hard” after accusing Tehran of prolonging nuclear negotiations and targeting a U.S. helicopter.
Trump was asked during the signing of the Secure America Act in the Oval Office what he meant about an earlier social media post in which he wrote that Iran has taken too long to negotiate a deal and “now they will have to pay the price!!!”
“We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard,” Trump told reporters, adding that the action is being taken after Iran shot down an American military helicopter.
The two crew members aboard a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after the helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday. Both soldiers were safely rescued within two hours.
US ARMY HELICOPTER GOES DOWN, BUT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS ‘PILOTS ARE FINE’
On Tuesday, CENTCOM said U.S. forces completed self-defense strikes against Iran on Tuesday at Trump’s orders in response to the downing of the helicopter.
“We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump said.
Trump said the U.S. and Iran are “really close to a deal,” though accused Tehran of “tapping us along” and “playing us for suckers.”
When asked if the U.S. will strike Iranian power plants and bridges, Trump said he wouldn’t disclose any details.
“We have the strongest military anywhere in the world,” the president said. “And sometimes you’ll have to use it.”
Trump reiterated that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
TRUMP KEEPS FORECASTING AN IRAN DEAL – WHY THE WHITE HOUSE STILL THINKS IT CAN HAPPEN
“They’ve agreed to that,” he said, adding that all Tehran has to do is sign the agreement.
“It’s fully negotiated,” Trump said, “but they’re tapping and tapping. And I say, ‘All right, let’s give them a couple of more days’ … because it’s a meaningful paper. They know when they sign that paper it’s meaningful.”
In a Truth Social post from earlier Wednesday, Trump claimed Iran’s military “is a complete and total mess.”
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“Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated,” the post read. “Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!”
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