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Trump Vows to 'Hit Them Hard' After Iran Retaliation
By @sharedot · · 7 pages
President Trump pledged a forceful response to Iran's intercepted missile strike on US bases in Jordan and taunted Tehran with an AI video of Kharg Island ablaze.
What happened
Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles overnight at the King Hussein and Al-Azraq US bases in Jordan, retaliation for American strikes on two rocket launchers on Larak Island that killed two people, according to Iran's IRGC. Jordan's army said it intercepted eight missiles entering its airspace, and US sources told Fox News that nearly all were intercepted, with no injuries reported at either base. The strike came only hours after Washington carried out its first attack on Iran since late July.
Why it is a sharp reversal
The exchange broke a month-long pause and undercut the administration's own stated pivot. Just days earlier, the White House said it would focus on economic pressure through sanctions rather than military action, but the Larak strikes and Trump's threat of further force call that strategy into question. NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker told USA TODAY the crossfire does not necessarily mean the military campaign is resuming, insisting the blockade and sanctions push can continue alongside any response.
The evidence
US Central Command said it took 'limited, precise action' after observing Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets and deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, and denied an IRGC claim that a supertanker had struck mines and caught fire, calling it 'disinformation.' Trump amplified the confrontation online, posting an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal in flames; the USA TODAY reports there is no evidence any such attack occurred, and an Iranian official dismissed the post as 'laughable' per Reuters.
The stakes
Markets reacted immediately: Brent crude rose to $90.91 per barrel while the S&P fell 0.4% and the Nasdaq 0.3%, with energy stocks the lone gainer as Exxon Mobil rose 2.9% and Chevron 3%. The Strait of Hormuz, which about 20% of the world's oil and LNG used to cross before the war, remains effectively closed since February, with Iran reportedly charging vessels $2 million to pass and the US naval blockade redirecting 83 commercial vessels as of August 30.
What comes next
Trump told Fox News 'we're going to hit them hard, there will be a response,' while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, said Iran is 'not seeking war' but will deliver a 'decisive response' to aggressors. Vice President JD Vance characterized Trump's social media posts as a message to Tehran rather than an announcement of military action. With the war past its six-month mark and US commanders reportedly wary of sustained operations, both sides appear to be testing escalation thresholds while keeping diplomatic channels nominally open.