President Donald Trump delivered a forceful response Wednesday after Iran launched an overnight missile attack targeting U.S. forces in Jordan, warning that Tehran would face a strong American response.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump reacted to the latest escalation by vowing that the United States would respond decisively.
“We’re going to beat the f—ing s— out of them,” Trump said, according to the network.
The president also indicated that additional military action against Iran was on the table.
“They’re going to get a beating,” Trump added, according to Fox News, while saying the United States would be hitting Iran “hard.”
Trump’s remarks came after U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday evening that Iran had launched a series of ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan. Centcom described the strike as a “surprise attack.”
According to the military, every missile fired during the attack was successfully intercepted and shot down.
The strike marked the first publicly disclosed Iranian attack since Trump announced over the weekend that the United States would halt strikes against Iran.
The latest escalation also came just hours after Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, placing renewed attention on the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East.
Only days earlier, Trump had ordered a pause in U.S. strikes against Iran as part of an effort to create space for diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The administration has indicated that diplomacy remained an option despite the ongoing tensions.
On Monday, Trump told reporters that Iran had requested a meeting with the United States, signaling that discussions between the two countries could still take place despite the recent hostilities.
The overnight missile attack, however, represents a significant escalation following the president’s decision to suspend military operations.
Earlier this month, Trump had considered authorizing major combat operations against Iran, an option that received support from defense hawks in Congress.
Ultimately, the president chose not to proceed with a larger military campaign after advisers warned about diminishing munitions stockpiles and the possibility that an expanded conflict could spread throughout the region.
Those concerns factored into Trump’s decision to pause military strikes while allowing diplomatic efforts an opportunity to move forward.
Iran’s latest missile launch against the U.S. base in Jordan now raises fresh questions about whether those negotiations can continue and whether the administration will return to military action.
While Centcom reported that all of the incoming ballistic missiles were intercepted before reaching their target, Trump made clear that he believes Iran’s actions warrant a forceful response.
His comments to Fox News leave little doubt about his position following the overnight attack, with the president signaling that the United States is prepared to respond aggressively.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, following both Trump’s recent meeting with Netanyahu and the administration’s attempt to balance military pressure with diplomatic outreach.
With Iran having carried out its first publicly disclosed attack since the pause in U.S. strikes, attention is now focused on how the administration will respond after Trump pledged that Iran would “get a beating” and said the United States would strike the country “hard.”
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