According to AFP, US President Donald Trump on July 21 (local time) declared that the US will continue to increase military pressure on Iran if Tehran does not stop actions that Washington considers threatening US forces and maritime security in the Middle East.
President Trump said that recent military operations have seriously damaged Iran's military capabilities, causing the country to take many years to restore.
If we withdraw, Iran will take 20-25 years to rebuild. However, the US has not ended its military operations and will not leave at this time," Trump said.
Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had completed the 11th consecutive air strike against Iran.
The US military has attacked Iran's military infrastructure, aiming to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump warned that the US military will soon attack the Pickaxe mountain area, located near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
We will soon attack that area with very strong firepower. Normally I would not publicize the target, but this time they can't do anything to stop it," Mr. Trump said.
The US leader added that the US will react if the Houthi - a force backed by Iran in Yemen - threatens to blockade commercial transport activities at Saudi Arabian seaports.
If that happens, we will handle it. We used to do that with the Houthi and since then they have hardly appeared again," Mr. Trump said.
It is not yet clear how the Houthi will carry out the blockade of Saudi Arabian ports.
However, maritime intelligence company Vanguard Tech revealed that 1 oil tanker flying the Singapore flag and 1 ship flying the Liberian flag had to change direction in the Red Sea after loading crude oil at the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.
If the Houthi implements the threat, Saudi Arabia may face difficulties in exporting oil through the Hoarmuz Strait bypass, leading to major impacts on the global energy and economic markets.
On the same day, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the US war on Iran has so far cost 37.5 billion USD, an increase of nearly 8 billion USD compared to the latest public estimate.
