Trump vows to hit Iran 'hard' as fighting resumes after month-long lull
A man walks past a wall mural of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along a street in downtown of Tehran on Aug. 31, 2026. (AFP)
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Aug. 31 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.
The exchange raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the U.S. 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."
