Trump Warns Iran ‘Will No Longer Exist’ as US Launches Fresh Strikes over Strait of Hormuz Tanker Attack

Ololade Adeyanju/

President Donald Trump has warned that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” if the United States is forced to “militarily complete the job”, following a fresh round of American airstrikes against Iranian military targets amid renewed tensions over commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The warning came after the US military confirmed it had carried out additional strikes on Saturday against 10 Iranian military targets, accusing Tehran of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement by launching a drone attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the tanker, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, was struck by a one-way attack drone while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important oil shipping routes.

CENTCOM said American aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and mine-laying capabilities in response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of once again breaching the ceasefire agreement.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!” Trump wrote.

He added: “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist.”

The latest operation marked the second consecutive day of US strikes against Iran.

On Friday, American forces also targeted Iranian military sites after Tehran was accused of attacking the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel M/V Ever Lovely, an incident Washington likewise cited as a breach of the ceasefire agreement.

CENTCOM said Iran had been given an opportunity to honour the ceasefire after Friday’s strikes but instead launched the drone attack on the M/T Kiku, prompting Saturday’s military response.

“After yesterday’s US strikes in response to the Iranian attack on M/V Ever Lovely, Iran was given a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,” the military command said.

Iran has rejected Washington’s accusations and maintains that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be coordinated with Tehran.

Earlier this month, Iranian officials warned that vessels using designated shipping routes without such coordination faced significant risks.

The renewed exchanges have placed a recently negotiated interim peace agreement under severe strain.

The accord, reached earlier this month, sought to halt hostilities and guarantee safe commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supply passes.

However, the latest attacks have fuelled fears that the truce could collapse entirely, raising the prospect of a broader regional conflict.

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