Trump Claims Iran 'Begging' For Deal as US Strikes Intensify Across Gulf

US President Donald Trump has shared images and video of a fresh American strike on an airbase in Iran’s southeastern city of Iranshahr as US forces carried out attacks for a second consecutive day. The airbase was reportedly used in part by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump also intensified his warnings to Tehran, saying the United States would strike Iranian targets “20 times” harder than any Iranian attack on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported explosions across several locations along the country’s southern coast, including Bushehr, which is home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex, as well as Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Sirik. The Iranshahr airbase was also reported to have come under US military fire. The latest American attacks were followed by Iranian strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, further threatening diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict across the Persian Gulf.

There were no immediate reports of major damage in the three Gulf Arab countries following the Iranian attacks. Kuwait’s military said it was actively intercepting incoming drones and missiles. The renewed escalation came after three tankers were struck earlier in the week, prompting the United States to launch extensive attacks against Iranian targets. Trump subsequently declared that the interim understanding between Washington and Tehran was “over”, although he said negotiations could continue.

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Trump later claimed that Tehran was eager to reach a new agreement with Washington, saying Iran had called and was “begging” for a deal. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said he was uncertain whether Iranian authorities could be trusted to honour any agreement. The US president did not provide details about who participated in the reported call and warned that further military action could happen quickly, suggesting American forces might “finish the job”.

Iranian officials responded defiantly to Trump’s statements and the latest US attacks. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would operate only under Iranian arrangements and warned that any attack on Iran would be met with retaliation. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused Washington of relying on force, sanctions and threats, while Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran would respond to hostile actions with courage rather than rhetoric.

The latest escalation comes ahead of the burial of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the outbreak of the war on February 28. Tehran has insisted on controlling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and has threatened vessels that do not follow its authorised routes, while recent attacks on ships have triggered further US military action. Trump said any further confrontation would end quickly, but the renewed exchange of strikes has increased regional tensions and pushed oil prices sharply higher.

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