Trump threatens to destroy Iranian bridges and power plants for each ship attack in Strait of Hormuz
The US president said any Iranian attack on a ship in the strategic waterway would be met with strikes on civilian infrastructure, including in Tehran, as the 11-day bombing campaign continues.
Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
The United States and Iran have exchanged fire for 11 consecutive nights after a preliminary ceasefire collapsed roughly two weeks ago. The memorandum of understanding that was meant to end the war, which began on 28 February, fell apart over the status of the strategic waterway. Iran claims sovereignty and the right to manage traffic through the strait, while Washington insists it must remain an international free passage. Ships that crossed on the Omani side without coordinating with Tehran were targeted, reigniting hostilities. US Central Command said the strait "remains open to commercial vessel transit" despite the attacks.
Trump's infrastructure threat
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a specific warning. The threat, made as he travelled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, marks an explicit pledge to target civilian infrastructure inside Iran's capital. Trump had previously threatened to bomb bridges and power stations, but the new statement is more precise and directly tied to each future ship attack.
From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran.
US casualties and the Dover ceremony
The Pentagon confirmed the death of Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, who had been missing in Jordan, bringing the total US military fatalities since the war started to 18. Trump was en route to receive the remains of three service members killed in Iranian attacks: two in Jordan and one during a controlled detonation of a drone in Iraq. A third service member remains missing from the Jordan attack. Speaking before boarding Air Force One, Trump said Iran "will pay a very high price" and is "being decimated." He added that the fallen soldiers "said, very strongly, that we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
Iran's response and diplomatic track
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency cited a military source warning that Tehran would retaliate in kind if its infrastructure is hit. The Jordanian army reported that Iran fired six missiles at Jordan overnight, four of which were intercepted. In recent days, Tehran has also targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Despite the escalation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to a negotiated solution, though he noted that Iran does not appear interested.
If the Americans target a bridge or power plant in Iran, Iran will reciprocate by hitting infrastructures and bridges in the region, including energy facilities in which the United States has interests.
The cost and public opinion
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told Congress the war has cost $37.5 billion, and he is defending a request for an additional $67 billion. Trump dismissed polls showing the conflict is unpopular ahead of November's midterm elections, asserting that "Americans don't want high gasoline prices but they're not against the war." He also repeated threats to strike what he calls a secret Iranian nuclear complex at Pickaxe Mountain, a site Iran says does not exist. The US military's 11th night of strikes hit military operations centres, drone and aircraft facilities, maritime capabilities, and logistics, aiming to "continue to degrade" Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the strait.
