‘They better behave’: Trump says Iran wants settlement amid fresh strikes

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Iran, saying “they better behave” if Tehran wants negotiations with Washington to resume.In an interview, Trump claimed that Iran wanted to meet and was interested in reaching a settlement with Washington.“We’ll find out if we settle with them,” he said, adding, “They better behave.”This comes as the US military intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting targets further north while American forces also fired at a ship it accused of attempting to break its naval blockade of the Islamic Republic.The US Central Command said it had completed a new wave of military strikes targeting Iranian command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.In a statement, CENTCOM said the strikes concluded at 9 pm ET on July 15 (Wednesday). The operation employed precision-guided munitions against multiple targets, including in Bandar Abbas, an important Iranian port city.“US forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM used precision munitions to hit targets in multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas,” the statement said.CENTCOM also said that earlier in the day, American forces carried out a separate 90-minute operation targeting Iranian coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island.“Earlier this morning, American forces struck coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave,” the statement said.Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said a missile attack struck areas near a cancer hospital in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, hours after CENTCOM announced a second wave of strikes targeting Iranian military capabilities linked to threats against maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz.Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Public Relations and Information Center at Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said the attack occurred near Boghayi Hospital 2, which treats cancer patients.In a post on X, Kermanpour said, “Moments ago, the areas near Boghayi Hospital 2 (dedicated to cancer patients) in Ahvaz were hit by a missile attack. Some patients and their companions, out of fear from the intense sound and severe tremors, have fled the hospital, and now only the most critically ill patients remain!”Iranian state media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also reported damage to an industrial facility in Qeshm, located in Hormozgan Governorate.According to IRIB, quoting a statement from the Hormozgan governor, “Following an enemy attack on part of the Souza fish powder factory in Qeshm, limited damage was caused to the factory. Due to the empty location, no injuries have been reported at this time.”The developments came after CENTCOM announced that US forces had launched a second wave of strikes against Iran, saying the operation targeted Iranian military capabilities allegedly used to threaten vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.