Trump threatens infrastructure strikes in Iran over Hormuz ship fire
The US president said attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger strikes on Iranian bridges or power plants.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that the United States would hit Iranian bridges or power plants whenever Iranian forces fire on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera reported that the threat raises the prospect of a broader war as US-Iran fighting continues across the region.
In a social media post, Trump said any Iranian attack on a ship using a missile, rocket, drone or other weapon would be answered with the destruction of “ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT.” He said the targets could include infrastructure in or near Tehran.
Al Jazeera reported that Trump has threatened strikes on Iranian infrastructure before, including power stations and bridges, but said Wednesday’s statement laid out a more specific trigger for US action.
Iran warns of retaliation
Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency quoted an unnamed Iranian military source as saying Tehran would respond in kind if the US attacked Iranian infrastructure. The source said Iran could strike regional infrastructure and bridges, including energy sites tied to US interests, according to Tasnim.
The same Iranian source told Tasnim that ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz if their transit is coordinated with Iran. Al Jazeera reported that the dispute over control of the strait has derailed a memorandum of understanding that had been meant to end the war between Washington and Tehran.
Iran says the agreement gives it authority to manage the strategic waterway, according to Al Jazeera. The Trump administration says the strait should return to its earlier status as an international route open to free passage, Al Jazeera reported.
Fighting resumes around the Gulf
The US and Iran have traded attacks for 12 days, according to Al Jazeera. The renewed hostilities followed strikes on ships that crossed through the Omani side of the strait without coordinating with Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera said the US military has hit Iranian military sites as well as civilian ports and bridges, with dozens killed. Tehran has answered with missile and rocket fire at bases that host US troops in the region, according to the report.
Iranian attacks have killed at least four US service members in Jordan and Iraq this month and wounded several others, Al Jazeera reported. The Pentagon identified 28-year-old Angel Rampersad late Tuesday as the third person killed in an Iranian missile attack in Jordan; Al Jazeera reported that Rampersad had initially been listed as missing after the strike.
Trump was due Wednesday to attend the dignified transfer of the service members’ remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to Al Jazeera. As he left for the base, Trump said Iran would “pay a big price” for killing US troops and said Iranian forces were “getting decimated.”
The renewed fighting has also pushed energy costs higher, Al Jazeera reported. The average US petrol price has risen above $4 a gallon after falling to about $3.80 during a ceasefire, down from a wartime high of $4.50, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.