US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that he was close to ordering a wave of strikes against power stations and bridges across Iran – a warning he issued in response to what he described as Tehran's stalling on a deal the two sides have been negotiating.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, the president wrote sharply, "Iran's Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn't even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"
His remarks coincided with a Fox News report by foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, which stated that Qatari negotiators flew to Tehran on Tuesday to meet with Iranian officials in an effort to narrow the remaining gaps in the talks, citing a diplomat familiar with the matter.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic contacts, the president's remarks followed an escalation triggered by the downing of an American Apache helicopter by the Islamic regime on Monday. In response, Trump announced a US military counterstrike that was carried out earlier Wednesday.
Trump provided new details Wednesday about the Iranian downing of the US Apache helicopter, telling Fox News' Trey Yingst that the drone that struck the aircraft became lodged between the two pilots. Trump said the drone caught fire but did not detonate as the crew managed to bring the helicopter down into the water, calling the pilots' survival a "miracle."
Trump also said he was weighing broader military action against Iran after peace talks failed to gain traction, adding that he was moving closer to striking the country's power plants and bridges. "I may keep going," he said. "They had a chance to sign a deal and survive."
