US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to hit Iran "hard" after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran's economy. After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the US persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iranian ports. On Sunday, the United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East. The exchange raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the US president vowing to respond. "We're going to hit them hard," Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. "There will be a response."
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Cover image: Un panneau d'affichage appelant à la vengeance contre le président américain Donald Trump, dans la rue Jomhouri, dans le centre de Téhéran, le 27 juillet 2026. © AFP
