US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would hit Iran “hard”, though he expected the latest military flare-up to end quickly and left the door open to more talks.
The US leader had earlier said the ceasefire with Iran was over after the latest fighting, which led mediators Pakistan and Qatar and the United Nations to call for de-escalation.
Efforts to end the Middle East war took a hit following the fighting sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic shipping route remains a flashpoint in the conflict, which began in late February with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei — to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
