President Trump readying new strikes on Iranian power plants, bridges

US President Donald Trump said that he is readying new strikes on Iranian infrastructure – after warning that the Islamic Republic will "have to pay the price" for taking "too long" to negotiate a peace deal.

The president said he is "getting close to ordering new strikes against Iranian power plants and bridges," in a phone call with Fox News on Wednesday.

Trump also accused Iran in the phone call of "tapping the United States alone when it comes to the negotiating process."

It came as the president took to Truth Social to warn of retaliatory strikes against Iran following the shooting down of a US Apache helicopter on Monday near the Strait of Hormuz.

"They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!" Trump wrote in a thunderous post Wednesday morning, after stating that the country's military infrastructure and leadership were in disarray.

"Iran's Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn't even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! " he added.

The US carried out "self-defense strikes" on Iran on Tuesday evening in response to the downing of the helicopter.

Iran responded Wednesday morning with drone and missile strikes targeting military bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

Up until Wednesday, the president had still said that efforts to reach a deal with Tehran were in their "final throes," with a settlement possible in "two to three days."