Washington: Donald Trump on Thursday issued a renewed warning to Iran, urging its leadership to agree to a deal “before it is too late” as tensions in the region continue to intensify.
The remarks came hours after airstrikes reportedly hit a major highway bridge linking Tehran to the nearby city of Karaj. Reacting to the development on Truth Social, Trump claimed significant damage had been inflicted and hinted at further military action.
“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — much more to follow,” he said, adding that Iran should act quickly to avoid further escalation.
The US President’s comments mark the latest in a series of shifting signals regarding the ongoing conflict. In recent days, Trump has alternated between suggesting a possible diplomatic resolution and warning of intensified military strikes.
Earlier on Thursday, in his first address to the nation since the conflict began, Trump said US forces were close to achieving their strategic objectives and indicated that operations could intensify in the coming weeks.
“We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” he said, while also noting that diplomatic discussions were continuing alongside military action.
Trump emphasised that the US involvement was not driven by resource interests, asserting that America no longer depends on Middle Eastern oil. Instead, he said the objective was to support allies in the region.
“We don’t need their oil or resources. We are there to help our allies,” he stated.
The President also claimed that Iranian military capabilities had been significantly weakened, including its naval and air forces, as well as the operational capacity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Trump, Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones has been “dramatically curtailed,” with weapons infrastructure and launch systems heavily damaged.
He concluded by asserting that US efforts were yielding results, stating that American forces were “winning bigger than ever before.”
The situation remains highly volatile, with the coming weeks expected to be critical in determining whether the conflict escalates further or shifts towards a negotiated resolution.