Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure over Strait of Hormuz attacks
France 24 · LC · trust 64/100
US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the US would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Tehran attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat came as Washington and Iran exchanged fresh strikes, regional missile alerts sounded and diplomatic efforts remained stalled.
By: FRANCE 24 A video provided by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 21, 2026 shows the United States launching precision strikes on Iranian military targets. © US Central Command (CENTCOM), AFP US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the US would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran fired at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's latest threat to target civilian infrastructure came as the unpopular war spiralled with no clear off-ramp, threatening further global economic disruption and sending fuel prices higher ahead of US midterm elections this autumn. Both sides have dug in over the strait, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said his country would adopt an "eye for an eye" defence doctrine.
"Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," he posted on Wednesday on X.
The US carried out another wave of strikes on Iran overnight into Wednesday, and air defences opened fire over the capital, Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city on Israel's doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia .
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International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried such attacks as "unacceptable" on Tuesday.
The closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the global economy with effects far beyond the Middle East. A new threat by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea puts another trade chokepoint at risk.
"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," Trump wrote on social media.
Trump travelled to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the arrival of the remains of four US service members . A day earlier, his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth , estimated in a fiery Senate hearing that the US had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far.
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Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the strait, which was open to all and toll-free before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by US forces and intended to be outside Tehran's control.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has led negotiations with the US, appeared to brush off Trump's threats.
"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 social media. "We have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to pre-war conditions."
Jordan 's military said it intercepted four Iranian missiles over Aqaba, while two others fell in "uninhabited areas". Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in videos filmed by people in the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. Jordan said it also intercepted four Iranian drones.
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Another missile alert sounded in Bahrain , and Saudi Arabia warned residents of the Gulf city of Dammam to seek shelter. Saudi authorities later said the danger had passed, without elaborating.
The US military said earlier on Wednesday that it had completed an 11th night of strikes on Iran, with targets including aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions across several provinces. Iran's Health Ministry says US strikes over the past 11 days have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, and wounded nearly 600 people.
Iran 's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard insisted its retaliatory attacks would continue.
Before the latest strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, seeking to revive diplomacy. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which has increasingly become a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz .
Iran's Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand said "diplomacy isn't called off" and that messages were still being exchanged, without elaborating, according to IRNA.
An Arab diplomat said Gulf states are increasingly pessimistic about finding an off-ramp for the escalating hostilities and are particularly concerned about the latest round of threats in which the two sides have warned they may attack civilian infrastructure.
The diplomat said countries in the region, in addition to Pakistan and Turkey , are continuing to push for de-escalation. But he said the chances of any improvement currently appear bleak. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
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