US President Threatens Expanded Strikes on Iran
President Donald Trump has issued a renewed threat to broaden US military strikes against Iran next week, targeting the country’s power plants and bridges if Tehran fails to reach an agreement amid ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump stated:
"Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."
This is not the first time the US president has made such threats. Previously, he warned he would "obliterate" Iran’s power stations and freshwater plants if Tehran did not agree to peace terms "shortly." It is important to note that targeting civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities is prohibited under international humanitarian law and could constitute a war crime.
US Military Actions and Naval Blockade
Trump’s statements coincide with ongoing US military operations against Iranian targets for the fourth consecutive day, alongside the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (Centcom) explained that the recent strikes aim to "degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping" in the strait, a vital shipping route for Gulf oil and gas. Tehran has been accused of repeatedly attacking civilian vessels in this strategic waterway.
Iranian state media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas, located on the Gulf island of Qeshm close to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in other locations. Furthermore, the Iranian state news agency IRNA announced that Iranian forces conducted a drone attack on a military base in Jordan that hosts American warplanes.
US Policy Shift on Strait of Hormuz Toll
Earlier, President Trump had threatened to impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz for "security" purposes. However, he later reversed this decision, citing "highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership" and instead promoting investment and trade agreements with Gulf Arab states.
Trump stated that the toll was scrapped just five hours before it was scheduled to take effect, but affirmed that the US would maintain the blockade of Iranian ports.
This sudden reversal followed three days of escalating US strikes and Iranian retaliations against US allies in the Middle East. These exchanges represent the most intense confrontations in weeks and have raised concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict. The developments have also diminished hopes for negotiations aimed at establishing a permanent ceasefire.
Ceasefire Collapse and Regional Implications
A fragile ceasefire agreement reached on 17 June between the US and Iran has effectively collapsed, with control over the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the dispute. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, commented on the situation, stating that the US decision to renew the blockade "has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum."
When asked about the duration of the US strikes, President Trump responded:
"They’ll continue until I say it’s enough."
