Daijiworld Media Network - Ankara

Ankara, Jul 8: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that the United States was prepared to carry out additional military strikes against Iran and could reimpose a naval blockade if Tehran continued actions that threatened regional security, while expressing deep scepticism about the future of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.

Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara during separate engagements with Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump defended recent US military operations targeting Iranian assets and accused Tehran of violating an informal pause that had been observed during funeral ceremonies.

Trump claimed the United States had temporarily suspended military action after Iran requested a pause but alleged that Iranian forces later resumed hostile activities, including attacks targeting ships. In response, he said, the US launched a significantly stronger military operation and warned that any future attacks would be met with an even tougher response.

While declining to state explicitly whether the conflict had entered a new phase of escalation, Trump indicated that further military action remained an option and said he had authorised broader targeting during the latest operation.

According to the President, US forces avoided striking oil pipelines but targeted other strategic facilities on Kharg Island, Iran's principal oil export hub. He also claimed that Iran had requested a temporary suspension of hostilities during funeral observances before resuming military activity.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the overnight operation focused on military assets allegedly used to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strikes targeted fast attack boats, underground storage facilities for drones and missiles, coastal defence systems, radar installations and surveillance sites associated with maritime operations.

Hegseth added that the US military remained prepared to conduct additional operations if directed by the President.

Trump also suggested that Washington could restore a maritime blockade directed specifically at Iran if required, saying such a measure remained under consideration.

On the diplomatic front, the US President voiced little optimism about reviving negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme. He said he no longer believed discussions with Tehran would produce meaningful results and accused Iranian leaders of negotiating in bad faith by making commitments privately while publicly denying them.

Despite his criticism, Trump stopped short of formally ending diplomatic efforts. He said his administration's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, could continue engaging with Iranian representatives if they considered it worthwhile, although he personally expressed doubts about the prospects for success.

Earlier in the day, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained a central objective of US policy, describing Tehran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Rutte endorsed the recent US military action, stating that the strikes were a necessary response to attacks on international shipping. He also said efforts to weaken Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities were important for the security of Israel, the wider Middle East, Europe and the international community.