Iran warns of 'finger on the trigger' as Trump vows 'hit them hard tonight' and truce called off

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States is preparing for another round of military strikes against Iran, warning that Tehran could face attacks on its civilian infrastructure if hostilities continue. The fresh escalation threat from Trump came after he announced the is over following a series of strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and on American bases in the Gulf.

Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara that the US had launched heavy strikes on Iran overnight and suggested there would likely be more military action.

'We gave them a good thrashing last night. Trump said Iran was likely to launch drones and a missile at commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, adding: “We’ll probably hit them hard again tonight.” He said the strikes were revenge for attacks on shipping in the strategic waterway.

Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, blamed the US for the renewed hostilities in the Gulf region, accusing Trump of pushing the region back toward conflict by abandoning the memorandum of understanding.

“Verbal admission of cancelling the deal by Trump has once again driven the region toward fire,” Velayati posted on X.

He also warned that the region is not a place for “the political gambling of small countries” and said Iran has repeatedly shown that any act of aggression will be answered immediately.

“We warned back then that the region is not a place for political gambling by small countries and we have repeatedly shown that adventures come with an immediate response,” he wrote.

He said: “The AxisOfResistance will not keep silent in the face of humiliation and adventurism and has its finger on the trigger, demanding the blood of #MartyrLeader to purify the region.

Trump also threatened to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including its electricity generation and desalination plants, should the conflict escalate further.

He also warned that the US could seize Kharg Island, a major hub for Iran's oil exports. He said previous strikes had hit the island but said its oil facilities were untouched.

"Perhaps we shall take Kharg Island. We may take Kharg Island. “There’s nothing they can do about it,” Trump said.

The comments came just hours after Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was all but over, raising fears of renewed escalation in tensions between the two countries.

Trump told reporters that he felt the truce had run its course. ‘I think it’s over for me,’ he said, adding US representatives could continue talking with Iran but he was sceptical they would be successful. They can talk, but I think they are wasting their time,” he said.

Trump’s comments deepened the uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire, sending oil prices higher on fears that renewed fighting could disrupt global energy supplies. Any escalation could threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for international oil and fuel exports.

The US president also reiterated his earlier threat to seize Kharg Island, through which about 90% of Iran's oil exports pass, calling it a strategic target in the event of an escalation in the conflict.

The latest strikes against commercial shipping as diplomatic efforts continue may reflect divisions among Iran’s leaders. Hardliners are believed to want to maintain the pressure by controlling the Strait of Hormuz, while the more pragmatic factions are reported to want a lasting peace deal to lift international sanctions and revive the economy.

Formal negotiations for a long-term settlement were set to start following funeral ceremonies for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed at the start of the conflict. The mourning period, ending Thursday, was expected to bring a brief halt to fighting.