Iran responds to Trump address with missile attacks on Israel, Gulf states

Iran responded to President Trump’s Wednesday evening address with a barrage of attacks on Israel and other Gulf states, showcasing its defiance amid alleged ceasefire negotiations.

“The centers you think you have targeted are insignificant, and our strategic military productions take place in locations of which you have no knowledge and will never reach,” Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, an Iranian military spokesperson, said early Thursday in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

Zolfaghari’s remarks follow Trump’s suggestion that the Middle East conflict could soon end as U.S. “core strategic objectives are nearing completion.”

“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast,” the president told the American public. “We’re getting very close.”

Within the hour of his speech ending, Iran launched missile attacks on Israel and Bahrain, after firing missiles at Dubai during the remarks. Those attacks continued early Thursday morning, the AP reported. Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting Iranian missiles.

On Wednesday, Iran struck a QatarEnergy oil tanker with a crew of 21 individuals and hit Kuwait’s airport. 

Iran’s targeting of Gulf states over the past month has badly hurt its energy and tourism sectors. While the regional powers have maintained public neutrality to avoid further provoking Iran, they are reportedly encouraging Trump to finish the job and ensure Tehran does not pose a continued threat.

The Iranian regime has acknowledged receiving communication from Trump’s special envoy to the region Steve Witkoff. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that “the trust level is at zero.”

Vice President Vance has been put forward as a potential negotiator with Iran, though it’s unclear whether Tehran is willing to meet for formal talks. The Islamic regime will likely seek to extract a high price for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and handing over its remaining nuclear material, two key objectives for the U.S. and its allies.

The closure of the strait — a key passageway for transporting oil — has caused crude oil prices to surge globally. While Trump has backed off of forcibly opening the strait, he has urged countries that rely on oil from the Middle East to intervene. 

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” the president said during remarks at a Wednesday Easter luncheon prior to his evening address, according to the AP.

“Let Japan do it. They get 90 percent of their oil from the strait. Let China do it,” he added.

Intelligence reports show China and Russia have been supporting Iran’s war with information, intending to bolster its presence and alliance in the Middle East, according to reports. Beijing is planning to send humanitarian aid to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan after sending a special envoy for “mediation” purposes last month, Bloomberg reported.

The Associated Press contributed.

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