As U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his vow of total destruction against Iran, Tehran’s state media announced that nuclear weapon development has become an unavoidable necessity for the nation to negotiate from a position of strength with Washington.
Trump recently warned that if the United States “is forced to military complete the job” it began on Israel’s behalf, Iran might “no longer exist.” His threats followed a sequence of retaliatory strikes by Iran against U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, which Tehran characterized as responses to American actions.
U.S. officials confirmed no immediate casualties or major damage to assets early Sunday, though alarm systems sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait amid reports of missile and drone attacks. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the incidents a violation of the June 17 cease-fire agreement, despite efforts to establish a hotline for de-escalation.
The latest clashes began after Iran targeted a Singapore-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a 90-minute U.S. retaliatory strike on Iranian coastal missile and drone storage facilities. Iran subsequently attacked Bahrain.
Trump reiterated his threat on social media that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” if military operations against Iran continue, echoing previous warnings about “a whole civilization dying tonight.”
Iran’s state news agency reported explosions near the Strait of Hormuz, an area frequently targeted by attacks, and stated that developing nuclear capabilities is essential for the nation to counterbalance U.S. and Israeli military power.
It remains uncertain whether days of escalating exchanges will halt diplomatic efforts to reach a final peace agreement.
