'Iran taking too long to negotiate a deal, will have to pay the price': Trump's fresh warning to Tehran

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a fresh warning to Iran, declaring that the country's military had been "completely defeated" and accusing Tehran of delaying negotiations as tensions escalated following a new round of military strikes.

In a post on social media, Trump wrote: "Iran's Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn't even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!"

He added: "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"

Trump's comments came after the US military launched airstrikes on targets in Iran following the crash of a US Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, an incident he blamed on the Islamic Republic.

According to the US military's Central Command, American fighter jets targeted "air defence, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites" in Iran. Tehran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island but did not provide details on the extent of the damage.

"The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," Central Command said.

Earlier, Trump said Iran had shot down the helicopter while it was on patrol over the strategic waterway and argued that the US "must, of necessity, respond to this attack."

Iran retaliated by launching attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting both countries to activate air defence systems and issue alerts. Tehran also said it had targeted an air base in Jordan hosting US forces, although neither US nor Jordanian officials immediately acknowledged the claim, The Associated Press reported. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that foreign military forces operating near Iranian territory "are at constant risk" and vowed further retaliation following the latest US strikes.

"Iranian forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered," Araghchi wrote on X.

The latest escalation comes as efforts to turn an April ceasefire into a permanent settlement have stalled.

Since the conflict intensified on February 28, the fighting involving the US, Israel, and Iran has rattled global markets, pushed up energy prices, and increased costs for consumers worldwide.