Donald Trump has unleashed a foul-mouthed threat against Iran after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Jordan, prompting a joint American and Saudi response.
Speaking to Fox News, the US President vowed further action would be taken if attacks on American forces continued.
“We’re going to beat the f..king s..t out of them ,” Mr Trump said.
“We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.”
Mr Trump said every missile fired towards the American airbase in Jordan had been intercepted before reaching its target.
The threat came as the US and Saudi Arabia ended a four-day pause in military action, carrying out their first coordinated strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
On Tuesday local time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American and Saudi Arabian forces carried out precision airstrikes on targets in eastern Iraq linked to Iran-backed groups.
The military said sites had been used by militants aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing the force of directing repeated attacks against US personnel and Saudi energy infrastructure.
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“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” CENTCOM said.
“The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful.”
Mr Trump said the operation had been authorised by the Iraqi government, but that claim was disputed by Iraqi President Ali al-Zaidi.
He condemned the strikes as “an unacceptable attack and blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
Mr al-Zaidi called for an emergency meeting to be held on Wednesday in response to the strikes and cancelled a planned visit to Jeddah, where he had been due to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday.
Meanwhile, hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough also faded after Iran rejected a proposal that would have seen it share control of the Strait of Hormuz equally with Oman, raising concerns that tensions could escalate further.
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