Trump threatens strikes on Iranian bridges and power plants as US-Iran escalation deepens

President Donald Trump has expanded his warning over attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States would destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant for each strike on a vessel. The statement, posted on Wednesday, comes as US military operations against Iran continued for an eleventh straight night and as Tehran signalled it would retaliate if its infrastructure is hit. The latest exchange adds another layer of risk to a confrontation already affecting maritime traffic and regional security.

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Trump said any attack on a ship in the strait, whether by missile, rocket, drone or another weapon, would trigger a US strike on what he described as one bridge or power plant, including sites near Tehran. CENTCOM said the latest wave of strikes was intended to keep degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping, and said it had targeted military operation centres, aircraft hangars, maritime capabilities, drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure. The US military also accused Iran of attacking more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the waterway, saying the attacks had endangered hundreds of mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.

The warning is significant because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, and the confrontation is now moving beyond military sites to the prospect of strikes on civilian infrastructure. An Iranian military source cited by Tasnim said Tehran would respond in kind if bridges or power plants in Iran were attacked, including by targeting infrastructure and energy facilities in the region where the United States has interests. The same source said passage through Hormuz remained safe for ships, but only if coordinated with Iran.

The dispute also reflects a wider struggle over control and access in the waterway. The Iranian side has claimed sovereignty over the strategic strait, while the Trump administration has insisted it should remain an international, free passageway. According to the reporting, hostilities resumed after ships crossing on the Omani side without coordination with Iran were targeted, and the conflict has since broadened to include strikes on military targets, ports and bridges, with casualties reported in the wider campaign.

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The latest threat also follows earlier comments from Trump that the United States could strike Iran's infrastructure, including in Tehran, and that it could target the underground Pickaxe Mountain site, which is suspected of being used for uranium enrichment. In a separate development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained willing to engage with Tehran, although he said he did not believe Iran was serious about negotiations. That combination of military pressure and limited diplomatic signalling suggests the confrontation remains active on both the battlefield and in public messaging.

The regional consequences are already visible. Jordan's army said it intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at the coastal city of Aqaba, while alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The reporting also says Iran has responded to US attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants in neighbouring Gulf countries, raising concerns about damage to civilian services and the wider energy system.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described such attacks as unacceptable, underscoring the legal and humanitarian concerns surrounding the campaign. The immediate question is whether the latest warning is intended as deterrence, a prelude to action, or both. What remains unclear is whether any further attacks on shipping will follow, how Iran will respond if civilian infrastructure is struck, and whether diplomatic contacts can slow the escalation.

For now, the conflict appears to be widening across land, sea and air, with shipping security, regional infrastructure and the risk of miscalculation all under pressure.