US-Iran War News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran “hard” after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran’s economy.
“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”
The latest escalation came after the United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at US forces in the region, including targets in Jordan and the UAE.
The exchange has raised fears that the six-month-old war could return to a period of major fighting. Trump has promised a response, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for dialogue, saying continuing the war is not in the interest of Iran or the wider region.
“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” he said at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding “the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint. Iran has kept the strategic waterway largely closed, while the US has maintained a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The disruption has also affected global energy markets, as the strait previously carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil.
Meanwhile, Washington is continuing its economic pressure campaign against Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the pressure could produce a turning point within weeks or months.
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