President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to end the ceasefire with Iran and take Kharg Island after Iran launched strikes in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, setting off a series of back-and-forth attacks.
Trump said the U.S. would prepare for a second night of strikes against Iran after attacks were made on U.S. military sites in the area, The Associated Press reported.
Trump said the strikes may target Iranian electric and desalinization plants.
“We may take over Kharg Island. There’s not a thing they could do about it,” he said.
Trump’s remarks come as he attends meetings with world leaders at the NATO summit in Turkey.
During a meeting Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said the U.S. struck Iran “very powerfully last night.”
“There’s something wrong with them,” he said, calling Iranian leadership “dirty players,” “scum” and “evil people.”
He was asked the status of the ceasefire with Iran, replying that he believes it’s over.
“I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum ... they’re led by sick people. They’re vicious, violent people,” Trump replied, adding he’ll speak with the U.S. negotiation team.
He also held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where reporters asked him about the situation with Iran.
Trump said he’s not happy with Iran, amid negotiations between the two countries over ending the conflict and Iran giving up its nuclear ambitions.
“If we make a deal with Iran, I’m not sure that will stick because I’ve found them to be very dishonorable people,” Trump said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military action was looking to strike anything Iran uses to “harass shipping” in the Strait of Hormuz, underground facilities where they stored drones and other military equipment, coastal defense sites, radar sites, and surveillance sites.
“Anything they thought they had rebuilt or capability they were using was a target last night and tonight, if we need to, on your order Mr. President, we will hit even more and even deeper because that’s the consequence,” Hegseth said.
Trump added that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s naval ports may also be reinstalled.
“We’re not attacking at the highest level. The highest level are the bridges ... their electric plants, where they make their electricity. If we have to, we’ll take them out,” he said.
