Trump on Iran: "We're going to hit them very hard"

• US President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran, accusing Tehran of breaking a deal he said had been reached.
• Trump said the US would take a role in guarding the Strait of Hormuz and seek payment for the operation.

US President Donald Trump said the United States would “hit them very hard” as he criticized Iran for failing to reach an agreement with Washington.

In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump claimed that a deal with Tehran had already been finalized but was later abandoned by Iran.

“We hit them very hard last night. Every time they send a drone, we hit them very hard. But we had a deal. What nobody knows, we had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it,” Trump said.

“We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he added.

Trump did not provide details of the alleged agreement or explain when it was reached.

Trump also said the US would become the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route for energy supplies.

“Now we’re going to guard it, and we’re going to get paid for guarding it,” Trump said.

He added that Washington should be reimbursed for the costs and risks involved in protecting the waterway.

“We just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this, for putting our people in danger,” he said.

Trump’s remarks came after the US military increased the number of strikes it was carrying out against Iran over the weekend, further escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes, with a significant share of global oil shipments passing through the waterway.

The latest statements raise concerns over further military escalation and the impact on regional security and international energy markets.