War: ‘Bigger than ever, we’re set’ – Trump on massive attack on Iran

President of the United States, Donald Trump, has indicated that he is nearing a decision regarding the potential initiation of “a massive attack” against Iran, which would surpass the scale of previous strikes observed during the ongoing conflict with Tehran.

Speaking to the Axios news site, the US president said, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”

Trump’s comments were made on Thursday, coinciding with a rise in oil prices that once again exceeded the symbolic threshold of $100 per barrel for Brent crude, the international standard, with indications that prices may continue to escalate.

He acknowledged the potential repercussions of such a decision but clarified that he had not yet reached a conclusive determination. He remarked that Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” before adding, “We don’t need anybody.”

Shortly thereafter, the US conducted its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, lasting over two hours. Iranian state media reported explosions in the strait of Hormuz, specifically in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas, as well as in the north-western regions of the country and in Tehran.

However, the strikes appeared to align closely with the scale and intensity of the operations the US has executed during the latest surge of violence.

Trump’s statements on Thursday followed an earlier warning of “major military punishment” directed at Iran and the Houthis, in response to the Iran-backed Yemeni militia’s assaults on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Emphasizing the escalating tensions in the region, UN Secretary-General António Guterres informed the Security Council that the Middle East is being driven to the “edge of the unimaginable” amid growing concerns regarding the conflict’s trajectory.

“The situation is spiraling out of control. It is on the brink of the unimaginable. The region is being drawn into an ever-expanding cycle of confrontation. One crisis exacerbates another. One escalation provokes the next,” Guterres stated during a Security Council meeting.

War: ‘Bigger than ever, we’re set’ – Trump on massive attack on Iran