In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, September 1, US President Donald Trump rejected a return to the “Islamabad Memorandum,” stating that an agreement with Iran “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”
Addressing potential Iranian retaliation to US strikes, Trump warned: “If they respond, they will be hit with far greater force.” Describing the strikes as “very big,” he added that if the conflict escalates for a third time, Iran “will be destroyed as a country.”
The US President stated that recent strikes targeted radar systems in southwestern Iran and near the Strait of Hormuz, systems that he claimed Iran was in the process of restoring.
Trump noted that US forces destroyed a significant portion of Iran’s radar network, adding: “They tried to rebuild their radars because they can’t see anything. We waited until it was almost ready, and then we hit it.”
He also confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is fully prepared to continue operations if necessary.
Rejecting a return to the “Islamabad Memorandum,” Trump reiterated that an agreement with Iran “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” adding that the US had afforded the Islamic Republic numerous opportunities to reach a deal.
The US President further mentioned that Washington’s Persian Gulf allies had been briefed on the operation before the latest strikes, remarking that Iranian leaders made a “dangerous mistake” regarding his resolve.
Concluding his remarks about Islamic Republic officials, Trump stated: “They don’t stop; they are crazy and foolish.”
Trump had previously warned, following an Iranian missile strike on US forces in Jordan, that Washington would carry out severe strikes against Iran. On Tuesday, he declared in a post on Truth Social that US forces were striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that any Iranian response would trigger even heavier US attacks.
Concurrently with these statements, fresh reports emerged of ongoing strikes and explosions across southern Iran.
IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) reported renewed sounds of explosions in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, adding that blasts were also heard on Lavan Island.
Speaking to IRINN, an IRIB correspondent stated that US strikes in southern Iran hit areas that had previously been targeted. According to the correspondent, no casualties or structural damage resulted from these strikes.
Ahmad Nafisi, Deputy Governor of Hormozgan Province for Political and Security Affairs, also stated that, following the escalation in clashes over the past hour, several locations in Hormozgan Province and coastal areas were targeted.
IRIB further reported that the civilian airport in Jiroft was targeted by a US strike on Tuesday evening, noting that additional details would be released.
Conversely, Fars News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, cited field observations from its reporters showing Iranian missiles and drones being launched toward US positions.
Tasnim News Agency, also affiliated with the IRGC, announced that a “decisive operation by Iran’s armed forces” had commenced in response to the US strikes, targeting US bases and interests in the region with missiles and drones.
US officials have not yet commented on the reports regarding Iranian retaliatory strikes.