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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran on Monday after the first exchange of direct attacks in a month, raising tensions in a conflict \u200cthat had recently shifted into an economic standoff.<\/strong><\/p>\n Iran launched missiles overnight at two U.S. air bases in Jordan in response to a U.S. attack on Iran\u2019s Larak Island, where Washington said it had struck Iranian launchers firing mines into the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The exchange highlighted how quickly a conflict that has increasingly been fought through sanctions, blockades and economic pressure can still spill back into military action. While neither side appeared to be seeking a return to full-scale war, both signalled they were prepared to respond to further attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to hit \u200bthem hard,\u201d a Fox News reporter quoted Donald Trump as later telling the channel. \u201cThere will be a response.\u201d<\/p>\n Separately, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the renewed strikes did not signal a return to full-scale war, \u200bdescribing Iran as a \u201cfailed nation\u201d whose economy and military had been severely degraded. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean we won\u2019t smack them. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked whether he had ruled out \u2060using nuclear weapons against Iran, Trump said there was \u201cno reason\u201d to do so because Iran was already \u201ctotally defeated militarily.\u201d<\/p>\n A senior Iranian source told Reuters the overnight exchanges of fire, the first since late July, were a \u201climited and contained confrontation\u201d but \u200bsaid Tehran would deliver a harsh response if attacked again.<\/p>\n Donald Trump said U.S. air defences had downed all Iranian missiles that could have caused any damage and that new U.S. economic sanctions on Iran were having a big impact, Fox News reported.<\/p>\n Earlier, \u200bTrump had posted to social media two videos depicting explosions engulfing Iran\u2019s main oil export terminal, with the message \u201cKharg island being blown to smithereens!!!\u201d<\/p>\n But the videos were generated by AI and no such attack took place. Iran called Trump\u2019s post \u201claughable\u201d. Vice President JD Vance told reporters Trump \u201clikes to switch it up on social media a little bit\u201d and was \u201csending a message\u201d.<\/p>\n Washington has so far mainly held off from hitting Iran\u2019s major oil and gas infrastructure, a move that Iran says would be met with devastating attacks against its Gulf neighbours.<\/p>\n Washington has, instead, stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its business partners with \u201csecondary sanctions\u201d that hit third countries buying its oil.<\/p>\nPILING ON \u200bECONOMIC PRESSURE<\/strong><\/h2>\n