President Trump announced a new red line against Iran on Wednesday, vowing to destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack launched by Tehran against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat, made via Truth Social, comes amid escalating tensions in the vital waterway.
"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," Trump stated.
Iran has previously targeted vessels in the strait, through which a significant portion of the world's seaborne oil supplies transit. On July 7, Iran struck commercial vessels, damaging a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and hitting a British vessel. In response, Trump ordered dozens of strikes against Iran.
The latest US strikes against Iran have targeted operation centers, military infrastructure, and drone facilities, marking the 11th consecutive day of attacks. These actions follow Iranian-backed Houthi threats to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb strait, another critical chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Trump's announcement preceded his planned trip to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of four American service members killed in a recent Iranian attack. The Pentagon has identified the soldiers, though details were not immediately available.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Trump also pledged to attack Iran's underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz, indicating a heightened willingness to engage militarily with Iran's nuclear program. "We'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon, and there's not a thing they can do about it," he told reporters.