President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that additional American military action against Iran could be imminent, warning that Tehran will “have to pay the price” for what he described as prolonged delays in reaching a peace agreement.

During a phone conversation with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump said he is “getting close to ordering new strikes against Iranian power plants and bridges,” indicating that critical infrastructure could soon become a target.

The president also accused Iran of failing to negotiate in good faith, alleging during the call that the regime was “tapping the United States along when it comes to the negotiating process.”

The remarks came shortly after Trump issued a forceful message on Truth Social, where he vowed retaliation following Monday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” Trump wrote in a thunderous post Wednesday morning, after stating that the country’s military infrastructure and leadership were in disarray.

He continued by portraying Iran’s armed forces as severely weakened.

“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! ” he added.

Trump also shared additional details from the dramatic helicopter incident, describing the survival of the two Apache pilots as a “miracle.”

According to the president, an Iranian drone struck the helicopter and became wedged between the two aviators. Although the drone ignited, it did not detonate.

Repeating Trump’s account, Yingst said, “And these pilots very quickly, within seconds, because they’re flying very low, take the helicopter down into the sea,” Yingst explained, recalling what the president told him.

In what officials described as a first for the U.S. military, the pilots were reportedly recovered roughly two hours later by an unmanned maritime drone, according to U.S. Central Command.

The helicopter’s destruction prompted a swift American military response. On Tuesday evening, U.S. forces launched what officials called “self-defense strikes” against Iranian targets.

According to Fox News, Trump said he authorized overnight attacks aimed at airfields, radar installations, and air-defense systems that Iran had attempted to restore during the recent ceasefire period.

The network reported that U.S. forces “took out about 55% of what they [Iran] were even able to rebuild,” the outlet said, citing Trump.

Iran responded Wednesday by launching drones and missiles at military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, broadening the regional confrontation.

Despite the escalating exchanges, Trump had maintained until Wednesday that diplomacy remained possible, saying negotiations with Tehran were in their “final throes” and that an agreement could potentially be reached within “two to three days.”

Iran, meanwhile, appealed to neighboring Gulf states to help halt the American and Israeli military campaign, warning that further attacks could follow if they failed to act.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry argued that regional governments bear responsibility for preventing their territory from being used in operations against the Islamic Republic.

According to CBS News, Iranian officials said those countries have a “legal and moral responsibility … to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organize, execute or support hostile actions against Iran.”

{Matzav.com}