‘Iran will pay the price’ – Trump vows as US strikes escalate crisis

US President Donald Trump has delivered a stark warning to Iran, saying the country “will have to pay the price” for delaying a deal and failing to act, as Washington launched retaliatory strikes following the downing of an American Apache helicopter.

Trump took to Truth Social, hitting Tehran for being “all talk and no action” and calling the Iranian military a “complete and total mess” whose Navy and Air Force “doesn’t even exist anymore.”

“The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal… now they will have to pay the price!!!” he wrote.

US Central Command said fighter jets targeted Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Two US pilots from the downed Apache were rescued off the coast of Oman.

Iran responded aggressively, firing missiles at US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Jordan and Bahrain intercepted the attacks, while Kuwait engaged “hostile aerial targets.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US and its allies to leave the region if they wanted to remain safe, saying Tehran would leave “no attack or threat unanswered.”

The escalation comes just a day before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the US is co-hosting and Iran is participating in, raising fears of regional instability overshadowing the tournament.

Trump also slammed the media for not reporting on the effectiveness of the US naval blockade, describing it as a “steel wall” preventing Iran from receiving anything unless Washington permits it. He described Iran as a “failed nation” not paying its military or bills.

The latest strikes follow a weekend of missile exchanges between Iran and Israel. Iran fired nearly 30 missiles at Israel over Hezbollah-related attacks, prompting Israeli airstrikes that killed three Iranian personnel.

“The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters… foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk,” Araghchi said, reiterating Iran’s hardline stance.

The Apache helicopter is the second crewed US aircraft downed by Iran since April, following the loss of an F-15 fighter jet. The strikes and counterstrikes have kept global markets on edge, as a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.