Iran-US war latest: Trump threatens to bomb Iran's power plants

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Iran-US war latest: Trump says ‘we’re going to hit them hard’ as he accuses Tehran of ‘playing us for suckers’

Donald Trump said that Iran was taking ‘too long to negotiate’ after he previously believed a peace deal could be arranged this week

Donald Trump said that the United States is going to attack Iran “very hard” on Wednesday unless a peace deal is finalised.

“We'll see what happens, but we hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today”, the US president told reporters at the White House.

After urging de-escalation between Israel and Iran earlier in the week, Trump vowed to press on “attacking [Iran] very hard,” citing the downing of a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US hit Iran earlier on Wednesday in response to the incident, prompting Iran to fire at American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

Trump said this afternoon that the US still wants to make a deal to end the conflict, claiming that the terms have already been negotiated and the deal only needs to be signed.

“We'll see what happens with the deal. We're really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers”, he said.

Trump has also claimed that the US helped 100 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran’s effective closure of the vital waterway.

Trump claims US helped 100 million barrels of oil pass Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump has claimed the US helped 100 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran’s effective closure of the vital waterway.

“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market”, the US president wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.

Trump added that more than 200 commercial ships have also safely transited the strait.

“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran!” the president added.

Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 19:29

UN nuclear watchdog demands Iran share information about enriched uranium stockpile: reports

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has demanded that Iran share complete information about its enriched uranium stockpile, according to reports.

Iran must also allow the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors to access the country’s nuclear sites as part of the resolution that the watchdog’s board reportedly passed in Vienna Wednesday.

The IAEA resolution said the agency needed to verify that there was no “diversion of nuclear material” that could be used to make a bomb, according to reports.

Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 19:00

Trump claims US has destroyed 'millions of barrels of oil'

Donald Trump has claimed that the US has destroyed “millions of barrels of oil”.

"Did you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran — until right now. We took out, the other night, 22 ships”, the US president told reporters Wednesday.

The Independent could not verify Trump’s claims.

US Central Command said Wednesday that it has disabled 8 ships that refused to comply with its blockade of Iranian ports since April 13.

Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 18:45

In full: Trump threatens to bomb Iran’s power plants and warns they will ‘pay the price’ for failure to agree deal

President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Iran of taking too long to negotiate a deal and said they would now "have to pay the price", a day after both countries exchanged tit-for-tat strikes that threatened a fragile ceasefire.

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in what it called retaliation for American ⁠strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran is all talk and no action," Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday morning. "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"

Trump threatens Iran’s power plants and warns they will ‘pay price’ for lack of deal

US president accused Iran of taking too long in peace negotiations as both sides exchanged strikes

James Reynolds10 June 2026 18:30

Threats to infrastructure are a sign of desperation, says Iran's president

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says on X that the US threats against critical infrastructure are not a show of strength, but desperation.

He insists Iran will “stand firm against any pressure or threat”.

James Reynolds10 June 2026 18:17

How a drone boat rescued Apache helicopter pilots stranded in darkness near Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. has responded to the downing of one of its Army Apache attack helicopters over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday by launching a series of retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian military sites in the Gulf.

Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has since hit back in kind, firing on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, calling the American assault “vicious.”

The revival of hostilities between the two sides has meanwhile caused Iran to threaten to withdraw from peace talks, leaving the pair languishing in stalemate more than three months on from the launch of the U.S. and Israel’s Operation Epic Fury on February 28.

President Donald Trump had signaled that the strikes were coming, saying the superpower “must, of necessity” respond to its aircraft being taken out.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

How a drone boat rescued Apache helicopter pilots stranded in darkness

Unmanned Navy vessel used in reconnaissance tracked down two airmen in the waters off Oman and delivered them to safety in what is believed to be a historic first for the U.S. military

Alex Croft10 June 2026 18:01

Trump: 'Nothing gets through' the US naval blockade as Iran becomes a 'failed nation' - ICYMI

Donald Trump has denied reports that the US naval blockade is ineffective.

Speaking on Truth Social: “The Fake News Media refuses to report how EFFECTIVE the U.S. Naval BLOCKADE is, the most successful Blockade in the history of Naval Warfare. NOTHING GETS THROUGH unless we want it to. IT IS A STEEL WALL!

“Iran is doing ZERO business, not paying their military, or any of their bills, and quickly becoming a FAILED NATION! Lots of oil is getting out. Praise be to Allah!”

Alex Croft10 June 2026 17:31

Centcom disabled tanker off Oman 'for not complying with blockade'

In a post on social media, Centcom now says they disabled a tanker off the coast of Oman on Tuesday for not complying with the US blockade on Iranian ports:

Centcom said US forces “disabled Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces.”

James Reynolds10 June 2026 17:15

Recap: What happened on Wednesday?

- Donald Trump said the US would hit Iran ‘very hard’ again today, assessing that Iran was ‘playing us for suckers’ over a deal to end the war’

- He also said Iran would ‘have to pay the price’ for taking too long to negotiate a deal;

- The US said earlier it had targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations and surveillance posts in response to the downing of an Apache gunship;

- Iran launched strikes on US bases in the region;

- Iran's Gulf neighbours and Jordan activated air defences to intercept incoming missiles and there were no immediate reports of damage to US bases;

- Israeli strikes continued in Lebanon, killing 13, according to Lebanese sources;

- Three Indian seafarers were missing following a suspected US strike off the coast of Oman;

- A delegation from Qatar landed in Tehran on Wednesday, offering a glimmer of hope for diplomacy.

James Reynolds10 June 2026 17:15

India summons US official over strike off Oman

India has summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission in Delhi over the reported strike on a tanker off Oman coast where three Indians are missing, sources tell Reuters.