President Donald Trump (R-FL) said U.S. forces will resume attacking Iran "extremely hard" over the coming weeks to pressure the government in Tehran.
These threats escalate military tensions during the second week [3] of the Iran-Israel conflict. The move signals a shift toward more aggressive U.S. intervention to secure critical maritime trade routes and respond to Iranian strikes on Israel.
Speaking during a Q&A session in the Oval Office before signing the Secure America Act, Trump said U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran "extremely hard over the next two or three weeks" [1]. He said the objective is to bring the country "back to the Stone Ages" [1].
The president specifically targeted Iranian infrastructure to ensure the flow of global shipping. Trump said if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz within the next 48 hours [2], the U.S. will strike Iranian power plants [2].
These statements emerge amid conflicting reports regarding the trajectory of the conflict. While some reports suggest the operation is ahead of its initial timeline and will end soon [4], other accounts emphasize a sustained period of intensified military action [1].
Furthermore, the administration's current posture contrasts with previous diplomatic signals. Reports had indicated that the U.S. and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding for a 60-day truce [5], though that agreement remained pending the president's approval.
Trump said the current hard-line approach is intended to force a resolution by applying maximum military pressure on Iranian assets, and infrastructure.
“"U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran 'extremely hard over the next two or three weeks'"”
The threat to strike power plants and the specific 48-hour deadline for the Strait of Hormuz indicate that the U.S. is prioritizing the restoration of maritime commerce over immediate diplomatic ceasefires. By targeting energy infrastructure, the administration is attempting to leverage Iran's internal stability to force a strategic retreat, effectively bypassing the proposed 60-day truce in favor of a decisive military conclusion.
