Trump says Iran has taken too long to negotiate, will 'pay the price'
Iran has "taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price", says US President Donald Trump.
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (Jun 10) Iran had taken too long to negotiate a deal and would now "have to pay the price", while Tehran said it would reassess diplomatic engagement with Washington after tit-for-tat strikes overnight.
Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz.
The exchange of fire, which came after Trump said Iran had downed a US Apache helicopter near the Strait, marks one of the most significant escalations since Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April.
"Iran is all talk and no action," Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday. "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"
Separately, the US president said he may order new strikes on Iran's power plants and bridges because Tehran is taking too long to make a deal, Fox News reported on Wednesday, citing a phone interview.
Oil prices jumped higher after Trump's post, having traded more or less steady from the previous close for much of the European morning session.
Brent futures were up US$1.74, or 1.9 per cent, at US$93.19 a barrel by 11.27am GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was up US$1.91, or 2.17 per cent, at US$90.11 a barrel.
Trump's comments come as an official with knowledge of the situation told Reuters that Qatari negotiators travelled to Tehran on Wednesday morning in an effort to finalise an agreement, after consultations with the US.
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Representatives for the White House could not be immediately reached for comment on Trump's post or the reported negotiators' consultations and travel.
The US military said it had targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites in what it described as a "proportional response" to the downing of the helicopter, whose two crew members were rescued.
Iran's Gulf neighbours and Jordan activated air defences to intercept incoming missiles and there were no immediate reports of damage to US bases.
The escalation - just days after Iran exchanged strikes with Israel for the first time since the ceasefire - cast fresh doubt on prospects for a deal to end the war, which began on Feb 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran would "reassess" its diplomatic engagement with Washington after what it called repeated ceasefire violations.
"Any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment," Esmaeil Baghaei said.
The US strikes lasted about four hours, with Central Command saying shortly before 9pm ET (1am GMT, Wednesday) that operations had ended. A US official said nearly 20 Iranian targets were hit.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Qeshm Island and the port of Sirik were attacked. Iranian media also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, another port city, and later near Jask at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
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