Highlights:
- Trump said he may "wipe out" Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
- He warned of strikes on bridges and power plants.
- The U.S. imposed new sanctions linked to the IRGC.
- Fighting between U.S. and Iranian forces continues.
- Trump urged Iran to return to negotiations.
President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his rhetoric against Iran, warning that the United States could launch broader military action if Tehran refuses to return to negotiations on Wednesday (15). His comments come as fighting between US and Iranian forces continues, and diplomatic efforts remain stalled.
In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday (15), Trump did not rule out targeting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), one of the country’s most powerful military organizations. When asked whether he might "wipe them out" as the US did ISIS, Trump replied, “Yeah, it does. We will see what’s happening.”
The IRGC plays a central role in Iran’s military, political, and security structure. Formed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it operates alongside Iran’s regular armed forces and is tasked with protecting the country’s ruling system. The United States designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.
Trump also claimed that Iran wanted to reopen talks with Washington, saying “they always want to meet.” However, there has been no public evidence to support that claim.
A day earlier, Trump issued another warning during an interview with Fox News, threatening to strike key Iranian infrastructure if Tehran does not resume negotiations.
“We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
He also warned that military operations would intensify if Iran failed to change course.
“Next week it gets really bad for them.”
Speaking to reporters later, Trump declined to set a deadline for Iran to return to talks but repeated his warning.
“I don’t like giving deadlines, but they pretty much know, they know the story, they better behave.”
The latest remarks come as the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against seven individuals and entities accused of supporting the IRGC’s weapons procurement network and enabling Iran’s destabilizing activities.
Meanwhile, US Central Command said it carried out another round of strikes on Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the military, the attacks were intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
Iran said it responded by targeting US military facilities across the Middle East, including bases in Gulf countries. The latest exchanges have further raised tensions in the region.
Trump also said the US military would continue operations near the Strait of Hormuz, even after reversing plans to impose a 20 per cent toll on cargo passing through the waterway. He said commercial shipping would remain open, except for Iranian vessels.
The renewed fighting follows the collapse of a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding that had aimed to reduce hostilities between Washington and Tehran. With both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement, hopes for a return to negotiations remain uncertain as military operations continue.
