Trump says will hit Iran 'very hard' Thursday night

Trump says will hit Iran 'very hard' Thursday night The US and Iran have traded strikes for two straight days, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Jun 11) that the United States will hit Iran "very hard tonight" and will soon take control of the country's oil and gas infrastructure. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their oil and gas markets, much like we have with Venezuela," Trump said in a Truth Social post. The US and Iran have traded strikes for two straight days, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war appeared stuck, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the US attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless”, without saying it was abandoning it. Hours after, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces began "additional self-defence strikes" at 5.15pm on Wednesday Washington time - early Thursday in Iran - in response to what it called Tehran's "unwarranted and continued aggression". Iranian media reported explosions across the south near the Strait of Hormuz, with explosions heard in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Minab, and sources reporting hits by "enemy projectiles" in Kargan and Sirik. American forces "fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters", CENTCOM said. This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.