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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz delivers a speech at the 'Road to Majority' conference held by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, an American evangelical organization, in Washington, D.C., on the 26th (local time). / Courtesy of Reuters-Yonhap News

Mike Waltz, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, warned on the 28th (local time) that the United States will continue to attack Iran's military infrastructure if Iran threatens international maritime shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with Fox News on this day, Ambassador Waltz stated, "If the Iranian regime thinks even for a moment that U.S. President Donald Trump will just sit back and watch without any response as they continue to attack international shipping or strike U.S. military bases, that is a major miscalculation," adding, "They clearly confirmed that reality over the past few nights."

He subsequently added, "If necessary, we will mobilize military means to continuously eliminate the infrastructure that Iran intends to use to illegally control international waterways."

Ambassador Waltz conveyed the situation where technical consultations regarding the ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran are continuing to progress, and clarified, "President Trump will always give diplomacy a chance, but his patience will not last forever."

He emphasized, "It must never be overlooked that President Trump will keep all options on the table to ensure that Iran never possesses nuclear weapons," and stressed, "This is the goal of not only the United States but the entire world."

Previously, President Trump stated on his social media on the same day, "U.S. fighter jets attacked Iran's missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar bases," explaining, "This is because Iran violated the ceasefire agreement once again."

In addition, he warned, "When a time comes where we can no longer handle matters rationally, we will have no choice but to militarily finish the job we have already successfully started," adding, "If that happens, Iran will no longer exist."

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) explained on this day that it conducted airstrikes against multiple targets inside Iran in response to Iran's recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran announced that it launched missile and drone attacks targeting eight U.S. military facilities located in Kuwait and Bahrain as retaliation against the U.S. strikes.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun-min