Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked directly whether the United States was restarting military strikes.

"You're resuming bombing?" a reporter asked.

"Yeah, well, we are. Based on the helicopter, I guess we have the right to do that. You know, they shot down a very, very incredible, actually an incredible machine," Trump replied.

His comments came after the United States carried out fresh airstrikes on Iranian targets overnight.

Earlier in the day, Trump defended the military action in a social media post, accusing Tehran of delaying negotiations.

Iran had "taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!" Trump wrote.

The latest strikes followed an incident near the Strait of Hormuz involving a US Apache helicopter. Washington said the aircraft was brought down after colliding with an Iranian drone, while Trump stated that Iran had "shot down" the helicopter.

According to US military officials, the strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar sites. The Pentagon described the operation as a response to the helicopter incident and what it called recent attacks on US personnel and commercial vessels in the region.

Tehran condemned the strikes and signalled that its position on negotiations could change.

Iran said it would "need to assess the situation" following the attacks.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later announced retaliatory strikes against several US air and naval facilities across the Middle East, describing them as a response to American aggression.

The exchange marked another escalation in a conflict that has intensified since the US-Israeli military operation against Iran earlier this year, with both sides trading strikes and threats despite repeated calls for de-escalation.

Speaking at the "Amin Iran " ceremony in Tehran on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran would not bow to threats or bombing campaigns.

"The enemy has based all its plans on fueling discord, because it is impossible to force a country to surrender with aeroplanes and bombing," he told attendees.

"They will not be able to force Iran to surrender with these threats, and we certainly will not surrender," he added.

His remarks came hours after the United States confirmed strikes on Iranian air defence systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington said the operation was a self-defence measure following the reported downing of a US Apache helicopter and what it described as recent attacks on American personnel and commercial vessels in the region.

Pezeshkian said Iran wanted to move beyond a prolonged state of tension but would not compromise on its sovereignty.

"We must get out of this 'no war , no peace' situation. War is certainly not in the country's interest, but if they want to infringe upon our dignity, our soil, and our land, we will not surrender or back down. Let them dream of such a thing; it is not something we will ever retreat from," Pezeshkian noted.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later announced retaliatory strikes against several US air and naval bases in the region, describing the attacks as a response to American aggression.

The latest exchange marks another escalation in tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with all sides exchanging threats and military action in recent days.