Trump: We Strike Iran's Capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.. and Reaching an Agreement is Possible

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States is attacking Iranian capabilities linked to the Strait of Hormuz, while indicating that "reaching an agreement with Tehran is possible," amid escalating military tensions between the two sides.

Trump added in remarks from the White House: "We are attacking Tehran's capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz. We are eliminating its offensive capabilities." He continued: "I want to recover the costs of protecting the countries we help in the Strait of Hormuz."

In the same context, the US President said in an interview with the "Hugh Hewitt" program about Iran that the US military will strike Tehran strongly on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Trump added that the United States will destroy the Pickaxe Mountain site in Iran, indicating that "military operations against Iran may last from two to three weeks."

"Pickaxe Mountain" is a fortified Iranian nuclear site underground near Natanz, which may pave the way for Tehran to produce a nuclear bomb beyond the reach of airstrikes.

For its part, the US Central Command announced late Monday that its forces began airstrikes against Iran for the third consecutive night, at the direction of President Trump.

The Central Command added in a statement: "These strikes will continue to inflict heavy losses on Iranian forces and undermine their ability to attack civilians and commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz."

"Military Skirmish"

According to CNN, Trump described the renewed US bombing campaign against Iran on Monday as a "military skirmish," denying that it represents a new and prolonged phase in the conflict, even as he refrained from specifying how long it would last.

Trump said in response to questions from a CNN correspondent: "We have to do what we are doing. We have significantly reduced their capabilities, but they will fight for some time."

Trump also downplayed the open-ended nature of the war, even as it exceeded the timeline initially set by his administration for combat operations ranging from 4 to 6 weeks, saying: "We were in Vietnam for 19 years. We have been here for four months, so I think we have accomplished a lot."

The network reported that Trump provided few details on how he ultimately plans to end the war, and reiterated that he would eventually be able to negotiate a settlement with the Iranian regime.

Trump acknowledged that expectations are low regarding the possibility of reaching an agreement soon, saying: "You have to find people who want to make something happen. We made a deal with them two days ago, then they said we cannot complete this deal. We have to negotiate it further," as he put it.

Iranian Attacks on Ships

CNN quoted a US official as saying that "the United States is targeting Iranian military assets including coastal surveillance systems, and capabilities related to drones and missiles," while Axios reported that the US Central Command plans to launch strikes lasting several days on Iran.

Iranian state television quoted the military earlier on Monday as targeting a "hostile" US ship with cruise missiles. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran targeted several ships it described as "violating" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian media also reported explosions in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Konarak in southern Iran, and on the islands of Kish and Larak in the Strait of Hormuz.