US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning that the United States will retaliate by destroying an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran targets a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The statement, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, underscores escalating tensions between the two countries over control of the strategically vital waterway.
Trump specified that potential US targets could include infrastructure located in Tehran or its vicinity. “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,” he wrote.
This announcement came amid the 11th consecutive night of US strikes against Iranian targets, primarily military and logistical assets that could be used to threaten shipping lanes in the strait. Over the past couple of weeks, US forces have concentrated on degrading Iran’s ability to disrupt global shipping, actions that have contributed to a rise in oil prices. Brent crude futures increased by approximately 3.4 percent to $94.10 per barrel and briefly reached above $95 per barrel before retreating slightly.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Manila, reiterated that strikes would continue until Iran demonstrated seriousness in negotiations. “The president always prefers to negotiate and reach a deal on these things, and we [are] willing to do that. We’ve tried to do that now for a year and a half, but we’re also not going to sit by and let ships be blown up or Americans be attacked,” Rubio said. He added that the US aims to protect international shipping and would degrade Iran’s capacity when possible.
Iran’s health ministry reported that 53 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured during the recent escalation. While the US military maintains it does not target civilians, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that US strikes had damaged both military and civilian sites overnight. The IRGC also asserted that no ships had attempted to transit the “unauthorised” southern route of the Strait of Hormuz during this period, implying that no direct attacks had occurred in that zone.
In retaliation, Iran’s forces targeted US military assets at King Faisal and Prince Hassan air bases in Jordan, according to IRGC statements. Trump has also vowed that Iran would face severe consequences for the deaths of four US troops amid the conflict.
Complicating the region’s volatility, Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen recently threatened to disrupt the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical oil transit route. Since this threat, several tankers altered their routes to avoid the Red Sea passage, raising fresh concerns about global energy supply security. Saudi Arabia has redirected millions of barrels of oil daily to its Red Sea port of Yanbu as a precaution.
The ongoing hostilities and reciprocal threats have intensified pressures on global oil markets and heightened geopolitical uncertainty in a region vital to world energy flows.