Trump says he’ll be ‘bombing the hell’ out of Iran after regime threatens to abduct US military staff following Kharg Island ‘obliteration’

US President Donald Trump has pledged that the US will ‘keep bombing the hell out of Iran’ as he hit out again at the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and called for the UK’s help.

In a new post on Truth Social, Trump claimed ‘many countries’ are set to send ‘war ships’ to ensure shipping can resume in the strait.

Following a series of strikes overnight which targeted military infrastructure on Kharg Island, the President added that Iran is now ‘totally decapitated’.

Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe.

We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are.

Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated.

In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!

Fujairah, which is one of the largest oil facilities in the Middle East, has been hit by a drone strike.

It is also a significant location, situated on the Gulf of Oman, for the refuelling of ships.

Due to its locale, ships are not required to travel through the Strait of Hormuz to reach it.

It comes as Tehran has launched several attacks on vessels passing through the strategic passage in recent days.

Britain’s counter-drone forces in the Middle East have shot down multiple drones overnight.

The counter-attacks were part of the UK’s operations to defend its military bases in Qatar, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Britain has a range of defence assets currently deployed in the region including Typhoon and F-35 jets, air-defence and counter-drone units, WIildcat and Merlin helicopters and 400 air-defence personnel.

Iran’s envoy to Ukraine, Shahriar Amouzegar, dismissed the support Kyiv has offered to the United States and its Gulf allies as a joke today.

Ukraine has previously advertised its expertise in destroying Iranian-designed drones launched by Russia.

‘As for the actions Ukraine is taking in the Middle East against drones, we essentially consider them nothing more than a joke and a showy gesture,’ Amouzegar said.

Earlier the head of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, said the advice offered by Ukraine made the country a ‘legitimate target’ for Iranian strikes.

It comes after Ukrainian President Zelensky warned today that Russia is using the conflict in Iran to carry out intense attacks against his country.

The UK is considering a ‘range of options’ to keep shipping secure in the Middle East amid the conflict with Iran, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Responding to comments from US President Donald Trump, in which he appealed for the UK and other allies to send ships to help defend the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson said:

As we’ve said previously, we are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region.

In a post on Truth Social earlier, Trump said that ‘many countries’ would send warships to protect the region.

He added: ‘Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.’

It comes after backlash in the UK and abroad over the perceived slow response – as HMS Dragon did not leave to head to Cyprus to protect British RAF base Akrotiri until earlier this week.

Iran is a notoriously difficult country to invade, thanks to its tough terrain, and will pose an unprecedented challenge should President Trump use some of his newly deployed troops on the ground.

The country is home to vast salt flats, dense and swampy marshes, and a series of rocky mountains that create a natural, nationwide fortress, in which countless military and nuclear sites hide.

Iran’s dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway to its south, means that any enemy vessels in either the Gulf of Oman or the Persian Gulf may become sitting ducks.

Some experts have warned that America could face a worse environment than they encountered in Afghanistan, Iraq and even Vietnam.

Iran is one of the biggest countries in the world, coming in at just over 630,000 square miles – and swathes of it is made up of high-altitude mountain ranges.

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Donald Trump’s administration has offered a $10million reward for information about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei as well as other top officials.

The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme also wanted information about nine other ‘key leaders’ within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Minister of Intelligence and Security Esmail Khatib were among the 10 individuals on the State Department list.

Meanwhile, four leaders had no names listed on the poster and were only identified by their titles.

These included the military chief of the supreme leader’s office, the IRGC commander, adviser to the supreme leader, and the secretary of the defence council.

By Andrew Jehring

Locals in Cyprus have been left outraged that the UK’s warship HMS Dragon had still not left British waters by Friday, nearly two weeks after a strike on RAF base Akrotiri.

Asked about Britain’s response, Nicholas Andreou, 35, an engineer from Zakaki, near the base, laughed and said:

What response? There was no response. There was a response from France, from Greece, from Italy.

I think Britain now is lost. The whole country is a mess. You know, I think maybe 10 years ago maybe things were different.

Petros Pavlou, 87, in Asomatos village, once worked on the base as an electrician. He said:

We know your friendship. England has supported us every time. We remember 1955 to 1959, how Britain supported the Cypriots against Turkey.

The base gave us security, and it gives people jobs. I have always thought this. But if the base was not here, we would not have had this attack.

Now I think more people think that sadly after your response.’

Donald Trump has asked for Britain’s help to save the Strait of Hormuz from closure, as he also calls for other foreign leaders to send ships to the strategic passage.

The US President also asked for help from France, Japan, South Korea and China, a country which has long been considered his country’s geopolitical rival.

Trump’s new post on Truth Social suggests Iran has been successful in bringing the strategic water passage to a close.

In recent days, Tehran has launched several missile strikes on vessels passing through the Strait, as well as sending its own explosive-laden ships, amid threats to send the price of oil to $200 per barrel.

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Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in a bid to find peace between the two countries ‘in the coming days’.

Sources told Israeli media outlet Haaretz that former Israeli minister Ron Dermer could hold the talks personally with Lebanese representatives. The talks are mooted to take place in either Paris or Cyprus.

The US is also understood to be involved, with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law said to be leading efforts on Washington’s behalf.

Lebanon became embroiled in the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel after armed group Hezbollah joined in launching strikes on Israel.

Since the start of the conflict on February 28, 826 people have been killed and 2,009 injured, according to updated figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Among the dead are 31 paramedics, the ministry added.

Two more members of the Iranian women’s football team, which competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, and one member of the backroom staff have withdrawn their requests for asylum in the country, Iranian state media claimed on Saturday.

Seven members of the visiting women’s football delegation – six players and one backroom staff member – had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded ‘traitors’ at home for refusing to sing the national anthem during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and its ally Israel.

One of the players had withdrawn her request earlier in the week and linked up with the rest of the team who are returning to Iran via Malaysia, according to Iranian media and Australian authorities.

State broadcaster IRIB said today ‘two players and a member of the technical staff of the women’s national football team, have given up on their asylum application in Australia and are currently heading to Malaysia.’

Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, posted a photograph of the three women, seemingly waiting to board a plane.

Iran has claimed that its attacks on US banks were in retaliation for alleged American strikes targeting their own banking infrastructure.

Sardar Naini, spokesman of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said today: ‘The attack on American bank branches was in response to the enemy’s [US] attack on two Iranian banks.’

No further details of the alleged strikes were given.

This week many major financial firms implemented evacuation or work from home procedures for employees.

It came after two strikes on the Dubai International Financial Centre area.

British bank Standard Chartered, US multinational Citi and two other companies told employees to leave their offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and in Oud Metha on Wednesday.