On Wednesday, at the NATO summit, President Trump significantly escalated his rhetoric towards Iran, as reported by media outlets, including Reuters. The U.S. President stated that the United States is ready to strike additional Iranian targets overnight and may act without prior agreements, highlighting his distrust in the durability of potential agreements with Tehran.
Additionally, Trump mentioned that American forces destroyed 28 Iranian boats the day before and may target new objectives in the coming hours. He also did not rule out strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, water purification systems, and the strategically important island of Kharg, a key terminal for the country's oil exports.
From Trump's speech:
- "We may conduct attacks again tonight."
- "We'll strike, possibly without prior agreement."
- "There is no confidence in the success of any deal."
- "Yesterday, 28 boats were destroyed."
- "We are likely to destroy even more today."
- "If necessary, we will strike power plants and water facilities, although we are not eager to do so."
- "The capture of Kharg Island is possible."
Following these statements, the U.S. dollar lost some of its recent gains, with the dollar index returning to around 101.04, while the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil rose 1.76% for the day to approximately $73.30 amid renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
