President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Iran has taken too long to negotiate a deal over the conflict in the Middle East and will now “have to pay the price.”
Trump’s social media statement, in which he claimed that the Iranian military had been “completely defeated,” occurred after the US and Iran traded fire, straining a ceasefire that went into force in April.
“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!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
It contrasted with his comments to reporters on Tuesday that discussions on a long-term deal to end the war were in their “final throes” and could be completed in “two or three days.”
Late on Tuesday, US forces stated they had launched attacks against Iran in revenge for the downing of an American helicopter on Monday, with explosions reported by Iranian media along the country’s southern coast.
The US Central Command later stated that the US Air Force and Navy possessed command, control, defensive, and surveillance stations.
Iran said it struck American outposts in Jordan and Bahrain on Wednesday.
