Trump Threatens Retaliation for Iranian Attacks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday, July 22, that the United States will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, in his latest threat to target civilian infrastructure as the war spirals with no clear off-ramp.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said that from this point forward, any time Iran fires on a vessel in the strait, whether by missile, rocket, drone, or any other weapon, the United States would bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, adding that this would include infrastructure located next to or inside the capital, Tehran.

A Battle for the Strait

Both sides have dug in over the dispute on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks. During peacetime, roughly a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed through the strait, and its closure has jolted the world economy with effects reaching far beyond the Middle East. US Central Command has said Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels over the past three months, including several after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June calling for a ceasefire.

The threat came as the US carried out another wave of strikes on Iran overnight into Wednesday, with air defences opening fire over Tehran. In response to Iran's attacks on shipping, Washington has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran Strikes Jordan, Alerts Across the Gulf

Iran launched a missile attack on the Jordanian city of Aqaba, on Israel's doorstep, while alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Jordan's military said it intercepted four Iranian missiles over Aqaba, with two others falling in uninhabited areas, and that it also intercepted four Iranian drones. Plumes of smoke were visible in videos filmed from the nearby Israeli city of Eilat.

Iran has avoided striking Israel since hostilities resumed last month, apparently hoping to keep it from re-entering the war, but the attack on Aqaba, within sight of Eilat, raised concerns over a further widening of the conflict. Separately, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, following their announcement of a naval blockade on Saudi ships, putting another key trade chokepoint at risk.

Tehran Pushes Back

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has led negotiations with the US, appeared to brush off Trump's threats, writing on social media that if Iran's security is not ensured, "no infrastructure will be safe," and that the security of the strait lies in the absence of American forces. He reiterated that the situation in the waterway would not return to pre-war conditions. An Iranian official told local media that Tehran would, in turn, hit infrastructure and energy facilities across the region.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump had given a dim view of possible talks, saying the US had "no interest in meeting." He also signalled that US forces could soon target an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain, known as Pickaxe Mountain, which lies on the south side of the Natanz enrichment site. In a speech in Georgia on Wednesday, Trump said Iran was "getting hit so hard" and wanted a deal, but added that he did not believe Tehran was ready to make one.

International Concern Over Civilian Targets

International law generally prohibits attacks on civilian infrastructure unless it is being used for military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried such attacks as "unacceptable" on Tuesday. An Arab diplomat said Gulf states are increasingly pessimistic about finding an off-ramp to the hostilities and are particularly concerned about the latest round of threats, in which both sides have warned they may attack civilian infrastructure.

At a regional summit in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Iran's actions in the strait, warning of the danger of setting a precedent in which a state could decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and attack ships that refuse to pay. Regional sources said Qatari mediators are still working to reach a deal to stop the fighting and reopen the strait, while Pakistan and Turkey continue to push for de-escalation. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator, seeking to revive diplomacy, and Iran's Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand said "diplomacy isn't called off," with messages still being exchanged.

The escalation is threatening further worldwide economic disruption and sending fuel prices higher ahead of the US midterm elections this autumn.