Trump warns Iran to stop ‘proxies in Lebanon’ or US will hit Tehran 'very hard again'

US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Iran to "immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble" or Washington will hit Tehran "very hard again."

"If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

According to Fox News, Trump also spoke with Iranians overnight and warned that if they close the Strait of Hormuz, "you won't have a country."

"You won't even make it back to your f----- country."

"We may take over the Strait, if we have to," Trump said.

He said that the US could become the "Guardian Angel" of the Strait of Hormuz and take 20% of the oil. "If they don't make a deal, we'll collect tolls," the US president added.

In the interview with Fox News, Trump said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has insisted that Iran maintain its right to enrich uranium, "better watch his mouth."

"He better shape up or we'll take over the rest of the country," Trump said.

He also argued he would have leverage after the 60-day negotiation period. "I have a 60-day option and I can do whatever I want after that option," he said.

Trump also said that 19 million barrels of oil were transported through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

Separately, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that "Traffic is flowing through the straits quite nicely."

He told Fox News that in the last 24 hours, 67 ships carrying oil went through the Strait of Hormuz, "about equal to where we were before the conflict."

Wright also said the US has been escorting ships since Iran has not yet "demined" a central shipping channel through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We've been escorting ships through that for several weeks now, and at very high levels today," he said.