Trump threatens more strikes as Iran death toll hits 18

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened more attacks on Iran on Wednesday, warning Washington could hit the country anytime it wants. The death toll from the latest U.S. strikes has climbed to 18 people, with at least 108 others wounded, according to Iranian officials.

Trump made the remarks after the U.S. and Iran exchanged their largest barrage of attacks since July. U.S. military strikes hit areas along Iran's southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, including a wedding party in the city of Kuhestak. Iran retaliated with attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan.

Trump told reporters the strikes took out new equipment Iran tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. was prepared to do another attack.

Iranian Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi said the victims included two children. One was a four-year-old killed in the strike on the wedding party in Kuhestak. At least four people died in that specific attack.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the Kuhestak attack as a war crime. He rejected U.S. claims that it does not target civilians. Iranian media reported the funeral for the four Kuhestak victims would be held on Thursday.

The six-month war has driven up oil prices, disrupted the global economy, and created political challenges for Trump's Republican Party ahead of U.S. midterm elections in November. According to an August poll by Reuters and Ipsos, only 31 percent of Americans approve of the war, while about 63 percent disapprove.

Since fighting resumed over the weekend, the price of Brent crude oil has climbed to about $95 per barrel. Trump's approval rating has also fallen from 40 percent to 33 percent since the conflict began, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

Trump said he did not believe the renewed military campaign would last long. He denied the upcoming elections were a factor in his strategy. Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon.

Retired Pakistani Lieutenant-General Tariq Khan told Al Jazeera the U.S. now finds itself in an increasingly uncomfortable strategic position in the Iran war. He said the U.S. is expending military resources to deal with a problem the war helped create, referring to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait carried roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil before the war. Tehran shut it in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 18 that began the conflict. Despite U.S. claims it remains open, only a handful of vessels now pass through daily, and Iran continues to target ships attempting the crossing.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers were disabled by mines on Wednesday while attempting an unauthorized transit. Separately, Saudi shipping firm Bahri reported two Filipino sailors were killed in an attack on their vessel earlier in the week.

Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority added 11 more ships to its blacklist this week for alleged noncompliance, on top of 45 blacklisted last week. The authority said the vessels face fines, seizures, or confiscation unless they submit required documentation to Iran before crossing.

Trump insisted the U.S. was in control of the strait, saying forces were helping bring lots of boats out every day with millions of barrels of oil. He claimed the U.S. Navy was escorting about 30 ships daily, compared to roughly 130 before the war. Tariq Khan said Iran's strategy is to make the war costly, aiming to remain standing and keep economic disruption alive to make an American victory unaffordable.