US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed he is Iran's "number one target", saying Tehran's leadership wants him dead, while insisting the latest military exchanges are unlikely to escalate into a prolonged war.
Speaking at a NATO summit press conference in Ankara, Trump defended recent US military operations against Iran, describing them as "a tremendous military success" that had significantly weakened Tehran's military capabilities.
"They're scum," Trump said, referring to Iran's leadership. "I may be gone too, because I'm their number one target."
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Trump claimed the US strikes had crippled Iran's air defences and disrupted its military leadership.
"Iran's negotiators are a little loco, they're a little crazy," he said. "In one day, all of their anti-aircraft is gone... everything is gone. Their leaders are gone."
"They have another set of leaders, they may be gone. Who knows?" he added.
Earlier in the day, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said Tehran needed to communicate with Trump "using a language of strength", arguing that was the only language the US president understood.
Despite the sharp exchange of rhetoric, Trump said he does not expect the conflict to widen.
"I don't think it's going to start again," he said. "I think it's going to go very quickly... When they hit, we hit. We use their language and we speak their language."
Asked whether Washington could launch additional military strikes, Trump replied: "I said we might, yeah we might."
He also warned that anyone attempting to access Iran's underground nuclear material "will get blown up" and said the US would eventually "take it.
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Explaining why he had previously described Iranians as "nice" and "rational" people but was now calling the country's leadership "scum", Trump said, "I got to know them," adding that the leadership was not acting in the interests of its own people.
Trump's comments came hours after he declared the US-Iran ceasefire effectively "over" following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US subsequently struck more than 80 Iranian military targets, while Iran retaliated with drone and missile attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, raising fresh concerns over security in the strategic energy corridor.
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