US President Donald Trump has threatened a military response to Iranian attacks on US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while calling for Iran’s leadership to face trial over his allegations that it killed more than 100,000 protesters.
“We’re going to hit them hard. There will be a response,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had launched ballistic missiles at the King Hussein and Azraq airbases in Jordan and explosive drones at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE.
The IRGC said the strikes were retaliation for a US attack on Larak Island on Sunday that reportedly targeted efforts to place sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments.
Trump said US air defence systems intercepted most of the incoming attacks. He added that one missile was allowed to pass after being assessed as unlikely to hit anything significant.
Trump escalates pressure on Tehran
Separately, Trump called Iran’s leadership “officially a failed nation” and accused its authorities of killing protesters on a massive scale.
“They must be tried for war crimes against humanity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, alleging that more than 100,000 demonstrators had been killed.
The reported death toll has not been independently confirmed.
Trump also claimed Iran had been severely weakened, saying it had “no Navy,” “no Air Force” and “no currency,” while describing its leadership as being in “total disarray.”
His remarks add to mounting tensions as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over the conflict, sanctions and the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomacy remains uncertain
Trump said Tehran was seeking a meeting but expressed skepticism about an imminent diplomatic breakthrough, arguing that US sanctions were now “kicking in strongly.”
The latest exchange of threats comes as military confrontation and economic pressure continue to overshadow diplomatic efforts to ease the conflict.
