US forces carried out new defensive strikes on Wednesday on an Iranian military facility after downing their attack drones, according to American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They then added that the US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.
Besides this, the US forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.
The strikes came after President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that Iran is "negotiating on fumes" and insisted that November's midterm elections will not make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that has spurred unease across the global economy.
Trump is confident that a deal with Iran is near. Over the weekend, he even declared that his administration and Tehran had "largely negotiated" a settlement, though the talks are still in flux. The president is looking for a settlement that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him with a credible argument that Iran's nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that has been politically unpopular for Republicans.
"They thought they were gonna outwait me. You know, 'We'll outwait him. He's got the midterms,'" Trump said. "I don't care about the midterms." Trump acknowledged there is still work to do, but he spoke with a measure of certainty that the two sides would get there.
"They want very much to make a deal," Trump said, adding, "So far, they haven't gotten there. We're not satisfied with it, but we will be — either that or we'll have to just finish the job."
Follow us
