Los Angeles and San Diego could be destroyed in a conflict with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump stated.

“I want to see a grand victory, you want to see a grand victory, because it confirms the correctness of everything we have done… They (Iran — ed.) can destroy a city. Let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. It is a very small price, and it will end very soon. In essence, it is almost over,” he said at a speech before voters in Nebraska, shown by CBS.

In mid-June, the parties signed a memorandum that was supposed to launch a peaceful settlement process. Nevertheless, three weeks later a new round of escalation began, and mutual strikes resumed. At the same time, Tehran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the end of U.S. intervention in the region. Washington, in turn, resumed the naval blockade of Iran.

The week before last, Iran conveyed to the American side a seven-day plan for opening the water corridor in exchange for lifting the port blockade. Trump rejected this proposal.

Before the escalation of the conflict, Hormuz was one of the key routes of international energy trade. Approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through it. Now, due to the ongoing tension, the number of tankers and gas carriers using it has dropped to single figures.