DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Trump threatens to resume airstrikes against Iran, citing stalled negotiations

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • President Trump threatened to resume airstrikes against Iran if Tehran continues to delay nuclear negotiations.
  • The threat follows recent military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, including the downing of a U.S. military helicopter.
  • Both nations engaged in limited retaliatory strikes, suggesting a desire to avoid full-scale war while managing the conflict.

President Donald Trump has threatened to resume airstrikes against Iran, warning that Tehran must "pay the price" for excessively delaying nuclear negotiations. The warning came during a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, where Trump suggested he could order the bombing of Iranian power plants and bridges.

This escalation in rhetoric follows a recent series of military actions between the U.S. and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the U.S. conducted retaliatory strikes against Iranian air defense and radar facilities after an Iranian drone reportedly shot down a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter. The U.S. Central Command stated the strikes were a "self-defense" measure in response to the helicopter incident.

I may continue (the bombing). They had an opportunity to sign a deal and have a chance to survive.

— Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, threatening further military action against Iran over stalled negotiations.

While both sides appear to have limited the scope and intensity of their attacks, indicating a strategy of "managed retaliation" rather than an all-out war, the situation remains tense. U.S. officials, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have described the American strikes as "proportionate and limited." The U.S. military also reported the successful rescue of the two crew members aboard the downed helicopter using a naval unmanned surface vessel.

They took too long to make a deal that was very good for them. Now they have to pay the price!

— Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, commenting on Iran's delays in negotiations.

Iran has not explicitly claimed responsibility for the helicopter downing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on social media that "foreign forces near Iranian territory are always at risk" and that while diplomacy is preferred, "other languages are also understood."

Following the U.S. airstrikes, Iran announced it had targeted 21 locations at U.S. Air Force and Navy bases, including facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. However, the U.S. and regional allies have disputed or downplayed the extent of these Iranian claims. Analysts suggest that while both nations are seeking domestic political gains and avoiding full-scale conflict, the risk of frequent clashes could increase if negotiations do not progress.

Foreign forces near Iranian territory are always at risk. We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we also know other languages.

— Abbas AraghchiIranian Foreign Minister, responding to U.S. military actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog