President Donald Trump says the United States will renew attacks on Iran on Wednesday, portraying Tehran’s peace negotiators as having “played us for suckers.” His comments come after renewed fighting between U.S. forces and Iran following the downing of a U.S. helicopter. Multiple outlets report that the United States carried out strikes on Iran on Tuesday in retaliation for the downing of an Apache helicopter, and that the helicopter’s two crew members were rescued. Trump says the U.S. will “hit them hard” again, adding that Iran will “pay the price” for delays in reaching an agreement.
The reported exchange of fire further strains a ceasefire that took effect in April. Trump also indicates the possibility of targeting Iranian infrastructure, such as bridges and power plants, which he previously threatened before the ceasefire but did not carry out. While some reporting references discussions of such plans, the central point across outlets is that Trump links renewed U.S. strikes to the helicopter incident and to his dissatisfaction with the pace of negotiations.
