President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the United States would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack Iran carries out against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating threats against civilian infrastructure as the war between the two countries drags into its second week with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.
Writing on social media, Trump said the warning would apply “any time” Iran fires on a vessel in the strait, “whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon,” vowing the U.S. would “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT” in response.
The threat marks a sharpening of Washington’s rhetoric toward Tehran’s economic and energy infrastructure, and comes as the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil trade normally passes — remains largely closed to traffic because of Iranian strikes. Iranian officials have said they consider themselves entitled to control passage through the strait and to charge vessels for transit, a reversal from its status before the war as an open, toll-free waterway.
An Iranian official told local media that Tehran would respond in kind, striking infrastructure and energy facilities across the region if the U.S. followed through, raising the prospect of a broader campaign against civilian targets on both sides.
The exchange of threats came as the U.S. military carried out its tenth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with Iranian air defenses reported active over Tehran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate hearing this week that the conflict had cost the United States roughly $37.5 billion to date.
The fighting has rattled global energy markets. Benchmark Brent crude has climbed above $93 a barrel, up from under $72 earlier this month, before the strait’s closure disrupted supply routes. Gasoline prices in the U.S. have risen in tandem, adding a political complication for the White House ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have so far failed to gain traction. Iran’s interior minister, Eskandar Momeni, traveled to Pakistan this week seeking to revive talks, and Iranian officials have said contacts with mediators continue, though few details have been made public. Gulf diplomats have described growing pessimism about finding a path to de-escalation, particularly given the mutual threats to strike civilian infrastructure, even as Pakistan and Turkey continue to press both sides toward a settlement.
