US President Donald Trump has warned that strikes against Iran will continue and intensify in the coming days, warning that the United States will begin targeting the country's power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table.
"We're hitting them very, very hard. We're hitting every single thing that they have along the shore, along the waterfront... They’ll continue until I say it's enough," Trump said during an interview with Fox News.
Asked if he is considering hitting energy targets, Trump responded: "I'll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets".
"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, because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate," he added.
Scrapped shipping tolls
Earlier in the day, Trump dropped the idea of charging a 20 per cent fee on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to secure trade and investment deals with the Gulf states.
The change of plan comes a day after Trump proposed charging a 20 percent fee to guard the strategic waterway.
"Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States," he said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Trump did not specify any direct commitments by Gulf states, stating only that "investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future".
Trump said he believes Iran has "no choice" but to make a deal, adding that US representatives were in contact with Iranian officials as recently as an hour before the interview.
"They want to make a deal... You better make a deal. You're not going to have anybody left," Trump said.
