President Donald Trump told Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst on Wednesday that Iranian officials directly contacted Trump and asked the United States to halt its ongoing bombing campaign against Iran.
Yingst said the president discussed the bombing campaign, negotiations with Tehran, and the possibility of additional military action if Iran rejects a proposed agreement. Yingst added that Trump said Iran sought an end to the strikes while U.S. forces continued targeting military infrastructure.
According to Yingst, the United States fired 49 Tomahawk missiles at targets inside Iran, including locations approximately 40 miles outside Tehran. Trump also said U.S. fighter jets were operating over Iranian airspace, targeting radar installations and air defense systems in southwestern Iran near the Persian Gulf.
“The president tells Fox News that 49 Tomahawk missiles were used to hit targets inside of Iran, some of them as close as 40 miles from the Iranian capital of Tehran,” Yingst said. “The president said that U.S. fighter jets are also operating over the skies of Iran, taking out radar systems and air defense systems in the southwestern part of the country, close to the Persian Gulf. This is all taking place as the Iranians are trying to get the United States to stop the bombing campaign.”
Yingst added that Iranian officials directly contacted Trump and requested an end to the U.S. bombing campaign. Trump said the strikes would stop shortly, but warned that the United States will launch additional attacks if Tehran refuses to sign a proposed agreement aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Yingst said Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the central objective of Operation Epic Fury.
“The reason Operation Epic Fury began was to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. I asked the president if the ceasefire is over. He told me this was ‘the most violated ceasefire in the history of the world,’” Yingst continued.
U.S. forces launched another round of attacks against targets in Iran on Wednesday after Trump warned Tehran against prolonging negotiations over the conflict. The military said it carried out the operation under Trump’s orders in response to what it described as continued Iranian hostilities.