Trump threatens stronger Iran strikes, Iran president dismisses it as desperation

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Thursday (local time) that "We hit Iran hard yesterday. We're going to hit Iran again, harder, today."

President Trump said this to reporters at the White House, adding, "in case you missed it or in case you didn't have the TV on."

He continued, "We'll see how the negotiations go. It's fully negotiated," but pointed out that Iran was continuing to drag its feet.

President Trump described the document for a peace treaty with Iran as a "meaningful document" that Iran was delaying, and criticized the nuclear agreement (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) signed by former President Barack Obama during his tenure as "the worst and most foolish document I have ever seen."

President Trump argued that if Iran had not been withdrawn from the JCPOA during his first term, Iran would have possessed nuclear weapons. President Trump repeatedly claimed, "If they had nuclear weapons, Israel would not exist, the Middle East would not exist, and they would have clearly attacked us."

He added, "Iran can never have nuclear weapons, and will not have them, and they have already agreed to this."

President Trump then said, "All they have to do is sign the (agreement) document."

In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed President Trump's remarks about striking Iran as an expression of desperation and indicated a willingness to resist.

President Pezeshkian wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "Core infrastructure is the lifeline of the people. From transportation networks to power and water industries, threatening to target such facilities is never a show of strength, but rather a testament to desperation in the face of Iran's strong will."

He further emphasized, "Iran will firmly resist any pressure or threat based on the knowledge and capabilities of its experts, as well as national unity and solidarity."

Meanwhile, President Trump completed the legislative process by signing the "Secure America Act," a bill providing $70 billion (approximately 106.4 trillion won) in immigration enforcement funding that passed both the House and Senate.

President Trump stated, "I am very pleased to sign the Secure America Act. This will provide immediate and full funding to the Department of Homeland Security until the end of my term, so there will be no need to discuss this issue further."

The bill's core provision is to provide three years of funding to agencies that crack down on illegal immigrants, such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security, until the end of President Trump's second term.

The Senate Republican leadership used the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a majority vote to pass a bill, to pass the bill on the 5th, overcoming strong opposition from the opposition Democratic Party.

Subsequently, the House of Representatives passed the budget bill in a plenary session the previous day with 214 votes in favor and 212 against, sending it to President Trump.