The war of words between Iran and the United States continued Monday, as a senior Iranian source responded to President Donald Trump’s latest threats by warning that Tehran would answer any further American attack with overwhelming force. Speaking to Reuters, the senior Iranian source said that for every U.S. attack on Iran, Tehran would deliver a “response tens of times greater.”
The source added that Iran’s retaliation following the American strikes on Larak Island demonstrated that “there is no target in the region beyond Tehran’s reach.” Earlier, Trump addressed the Iranian attack in a conversation with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, threatening a severe response. “We’re going to hit them hard. Iran is going to get hit,” Trump said. The Iranian attack followed a U.S. strike against two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command, Iranian forces had been preparing to launch rockets carrying naval mines toward shipping lanes in the area. Washington characterized the operation as a limited, precise strike intended to eliminate an immediate threat to civilian vessels and freedom of navigation.
Following the American strike, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. bases in Jordan—the King Hussein Air Base and Al-Azraq Air Base. Iranian reports described the missile launches as direct retaliation for the U.S. strike on Larak Island.