TEHRAN, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that U.S. threats to target Iran's critical infrastructure are a sign of its desperation in the face of the nation's will.
He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, reacting to threats uttered earlier in the day by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he may order new strikes on Iran's power plants and bridges over Tehran's "delay" in signing a deal with Washington.
"Vital infrastructure constitutes the people's lifeblood. Threatening to target them, from transportation networks to the electricity and water industries, is not a show of power, but a sign of desperation in the face of a nation's will," Pezeshkian said.
He expressed confidence that by relying on its experts' knowledge and capabilities as well as national unity and solidarity, Iran will stand firm against any pressure and threat.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said that Iran has "taken too long to negotiate a deal" and will now "have to pay the price."
Trump also suggested he may order new strikes on Iran's power plants and bridges, Fox News reported on Wednesday, citing a phone interview.
"I may keep going," Trump said during the interview. "They had a chance to sign a deal and survive."
Trump's remarks came as the U.S. Central Command said on X early Wednesday that its forces had completed "self-defense" strikes against Iranian targets in response to the "downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter," adding that the operation was a "proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters."
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said that it had carried out missile and drone strikes against U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan early Wednesday, adding that the United States had attacked locations in Jask and Sirik counties and on Qeshm Island in southern Iran. ■
