US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Tehran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying Washington’s response as the conflict spreads across the region and puts another major shipping lane at risk.
The warning came a few hours before Trump attended the return of four American soldiers were killed in attacks on Iran and related operations in Jordan and Iraq.
“From now on, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran fires at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether with a Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
The warning revived his previous threat to retaliate against Iranian attacks by striking infrastructure and came after the 11th consecutive night of US airstrikes against the country.
The US Central Command said its latest operations targeted Iran’s military command centers, naval capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and shipping infrastructure, as Washington sought to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the sea.
Iranian media reported explosions in several provinces, including near Tabriz in northwestern Iran, an area not previously known to have been targeted during the latest round of fighting. Air defenses were also activated over Tehran.
