World

Trump says Iran will 'have to pay the price' after tit-for-tat strikes

People ride past a billboard depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
People ride past a billboard depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Reuters

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DUBAI/WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday Iran had taken too long to negotiate a deal and would now "have to pay the price," while Tehran said it would reassess diplomatic engagement with Washington after tit-for-tat strikes overnight.

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz.

The exchange of fire, which came after Trump said Iran had downed a U.S. Apache helicopter near the strait, marks one of the most significant escalations since Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April.

"Iran is all talk and no action," Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday. "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"

The U.S. military said it had targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites in what it described as a "proportional response" to the downing of the helicopter, whose two crew members were rescued.

Iran's Gulf neighbours and Jordan activated air defences to intercept incoming missiles and there were no immediate reports of damage to U.S. bases.

The escalation - just days after Iran exchanged strikes with Israel for the first time since the ceasefire - cast fresh doubt on prospects for a deal to end the war, which began on February 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran would "reassess" its diplomatic engagement with Washington after what it called repeated ceasefire violations.

"Any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment," Esmaeil Baghaei said.

The U.S. strikes lasted about four hours, with Central Command saying shortly before 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT Wednesday) that operations had ended. A U.S. official said nearly 20 Iranian targets were hit.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Qeshm Island and the port of Sirik were attacked. Iranian media also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, another port city, and later near Jask at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Lincoln Feast and Ros Russell; Editing by Neil Fullick, Shri Navaratnam and Peter Graff)

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Reuters Reuters
An Iranian missile is launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video.  WANA via Pool/via REUTERS
An Iranian missile is launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video. WANA via Pool/via REUTERS WANA via Pool Reuters
Iranian missiles are launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video.  WANA via Pool/via REUTERS
Iranian missiles are launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video. WANA via Pool/via REUTERS WANA via Pool Reuters
An Iranian missile is launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video.  WANA via Pool/via REUTERS
An Iranian missile is launched, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, from a location given as Tehran, Iran, released June 10, 2026, in this still image taken from a video. WANA via Pool/via REUTERS WANA via Pool Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 4:24 AM.

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