Trump says Iran ‘will no longer exist’ if US is forced to ‘complete the job’ after fresh strikes
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Saturday, June 27, warned that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist" if the United States is forced to escalate military action, after US forces carried out a second consecutive day of strikes against Iranian targets.
The warning came as Washington accused Tehran of repeatedly violating a recently signed US-Iran ceasefire agreement. The latest exchange has further heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route.
US strikes Iran after ceasefire violation
Trump announced that US aircraft had struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, as well as coastal radar sites, saying the operation was launched after Iran again breached the ceasefire agreement.
"United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He followed the announcement with a warning directed at Tehran. "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," Trump wrote. "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist."
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said operation was launched after a Panama-flagged tanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil was allegedly struck by an Iranian one-way attack drone near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying capabilities.
Iran condemns US airstrikes as flagrant violation of ceasefire MOU
— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) June 27, 2026
🔹The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned US airstrikes on Friday night targeting coastal monitoring facilities in southern Iran, calling it a blatant violation of the UN Charter and the MOU on ending the… pic.twitter.com/S6u1dRn1Fd
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also reported strikes on Saturday, saying it had targeted American military positions in response to earlier US attacks. Bahrain separately reported overnight drone attacks and condemned them as a violation of its sovereignty, though
Trump warns Iran before US military response
Saturday's operation came a day after the United States launched airstrikes on Iranian missile, drone, and coastal radar facilities following an alleged Iranian drone attack on a commercial cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Hours before those strikes, Trump hinted that Washington would respond when asked whether Iran would face consequences. "You'll find out," Trump said. "I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. They shouldn't be doing that. So, you'll find out."
.@POTUS on whether there will be consequences for Iran's violation of the ceasefire agreement:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 26, 2026
"You'll find out. I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday — actually four, we knocked down three — at a ship... Will I respond? You're going to find out." https://t.co/QTpTs3H4mv pic.twitter.com/NA8QjIlh0h
CENTCOM later described Friday's June 26 operation as "a powerful response."
"The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," the command said. "Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor."
The recent military exchanges come just days after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing tensions and guaranteeing safe commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.
The strategic waterway carries roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments and has remained a central flashpoint between the two countries.
