Washington DC [US], March 23 (ANI): US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said that President Donald Trump is defanging the Iranian regime and bringing peace to the Middle East.

Bessent said that Trump's actions are aimed at making the world a safer place.

In a post on X, he said, 'US President Donald Trump is defanging the Iranian regime and bringing peace to the Middle East. Given another year or two, it would have been impossible to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. There is no prosperity without security, and what we had before was the illusion of security. Thanks to President Trump's decisive action, our world is now a safer and more secure place.'

https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2035832641291973014?s=20

https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2035817097243062470?s=20

Meanwhile, US Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz while speaking on the Strait of Hormuz said, 'We've now seen Italy, Germany, France and a number of others commit to help with this effort... Particularly since so much energy is going to Europe out of the straits... So we are seeing our allies come around, as they should.'

NATO Secretary General also lauded Trump's actions in the Middle East.

He said, 'We're coming together to make sure that we can be able to secure the Strait of Hormuz.'

Meanwhile, Iran has warned of retaliatory attacks on regional infrastructure if Trump follows through on his ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said he will 'obliterate' Iran's power plants if it fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Israeli forces attacked the Qasmiyeh Bridge, a key crossing linking Lebanon's south to the rest of the country, in an escalation that President Joseph Aoun called a 'prelude to ground invasion,' as per Al Jazeera.

Sunday's strike on the vital artery and other civilian infrastructure came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to destroy all crossings over the Litani River and homes close to the border between the two countries, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)