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US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will target Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if Iranian forces continue attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, significantly escalating tensions in the already volatile Middle East.
The warning came on Wednesday as the United States and Iran entered their 12th consecutive day of military exchanges, with fighting expanding across the Gulf region following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that had briefly raised hopes of ending hostilities.
In a post on social media, Trump declared that any future attack on commercial shipping in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz would trigger direct retaliation against key infrastructure inside Iran.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The statement represents one of the most explicit threats issued by the US president since the conflict intensified. While Trump has previously threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure and warned of devastating consequences for Tehran, Wednesday’s declaration established a direct linkage between attacks on shipping and US military retaliation.
Majid Mousavi, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that any attack on Iran’s power infrastructure would be met with retaliation against countries hosting US military forces.
“If our bridges and power plants are attacked, the power outage of the allies and hosts of the child killers is certain,” Mousavi said in a statement, signalling that US military facilities and allied infrastructure across the Gulf could become targets.
The latest exchange comes after negotiations between Washington and Tehran broke down over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
Iran maintains that the earlier memorandum granted it authority to manage traffic through the strategic waterway, while Washington insists the strait must remain an international shipping route with unrestricted freedom of navigation.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated Tehran’s position, saying the strategic passage would not return to its previous status.
“In a region where we do not sell oil, no one will sell oil. If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe, and the security of the strait is in the absence of American forces,” he wrote on X.
The renewed conflict has seen US forces strike Iranian military installations as well as ports and transport infrastructure, while Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against US military bases across the region.
According to US officials, Iranian attacks have killed at least four American service members in Jordan and Iraq this month. The Pentagon on Tuesday identified 28-year-old Angel Rampersad as the third soldier who died following an Iranian missile strike in Jordan.
Trump attended the dignified transfer ceremony for the fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday, vowing that Iran would “pay a big price” for the deaths.
“They’re getting decimated,” the president said before departing for the ceremony.
The escalating conflict has renewed concerns over global energy supplies, pushing international oil prices higher after a brief period of stability during the ceasefire. Fuel prices in the United States have also risen, with the average price of gasoline climbing above US$4 per gallon amid fears of prolonged disruption to one of the world’s most important energy corridors.