President of the United States Donald Trump A stern warning was issued to Iran on Wednesday, saying “they better behave better” if Tehran hopes to resume talks with Washington.Trump claimed in the interview that Iran wanted to meet and was interested in reaching a settlement with Washington.“We will know if we reconcile with them,” he said, adding, “They better behave better.”Meanwhile, U.S. forces have stepped up strikes against Iran, hitting targets further north, while also firing on a ship accused of trying to break the Islamic Republic’s naval blockade.U.S. Central Command said it had completed a new wave of military strikes targeting Iranian command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.Central Command said in a statement that the strike ended at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 15. The operation used precision-guided munitions to attack multiple targets, including the important Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.“U.S. forces attacked Iranian command centers, air defense bases, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent sailors on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said. “CENTCOM used precision munitions to strike targets in multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas Port.”Central Command also said that earlier in the day, the U.S. military conducted a separate 90-minute operation against Iran’s coastal defense and cruise missile base on Grand Tunb Island.“This morning, the U.S. military attacked the coastal defense and cruise missile base on Grand Tunbu Island in a 90-minute attack wave,” the statement said.Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said a missile hit an area near a cancer hospital in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, hours after Central Command announced a second wave of attacks on Iranian military capabilities linked to maritime transit threats in the Strait of Hormuz.Hossein Kermanpour, director of the Public Relations and Information Center of Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said the attack occurred near Bogai No. 2 Hospital, which treats cancer patients.Kermanpour posted onIran’s official media, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB), also reported that an industrial facility in Qeshm, Hormozgan Province, was damaged.“The enemy attacked parts of the Suzha fishmeal factory in Qeshm region, causing limited damage to the factory. No injuries have been reported as the factory is empty,” IRIB said, citing a statement from the governor of Hormozgan province.Earlier, the U.S. Central Command announced the second wave of U.S. military strikes against Iran, saying that the operation targeted Iran’s military capabilities that it allegedly used to threaten ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
