U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his threats against Iran on Wednesday, announcing that from now on, every Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a U.S. strike on a bridge or power plant in the Islamic Republic.
“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 wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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Mojtaba Khamenei and Donald Trump, Hormuz
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images, Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
The warning came amid growing assessments in the United States and abroad that Trump intends to escalate the campaign against Iran in the coming days.
The United States carried out strikes in Iran overnight for the 11th consecutive night, with the campaign so far focused on degrading Tehran’s ability to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Reopening the strategic waterway, a critical artery for the global oil economy, has become one of Trump’s main objectives.
Trump also threatened Tuesday to strike the underground nuclear site Iran is developing at Pickaxe Mountain. According to reports, Israeli intelligence believes the Iranian regime transferred thousands of centrifuges and some uranium enriched to 60% there after its main nuclear facilities were bombed during last year’s 12-day war.
Iran, meanwhile, has continued launching missiles and drones at countries across the Gulf. On Wednesday morning, Iran launched another missile attack toward Jordan. Four missiles were intercepted near the city of Aqaba, close to Eilat, where residents heard explosions.
Jordanian authorities said two additional missiles fell in open areas “in remote and uninhabited locations, without causing casualties or material damage.” Jordan also intercepted four Iranian drones on Wednesday and has emerged as one of the main targets of Iranian attacks during the current escalation. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency later advised airlines not to operate in Jordanian airspace.
An alert was also sounded in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam, though authorities later lifted the warning and did not say what had occurred. Sirens were also heard in Bahrain.
Iranian authorities say 53 people have been killed in U.S. strikes in the country since June 27. Iranian officials have continued to issue defiant statements, with military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi claiming that the regime was still producing new missiles. “During the 40 days of war and the broken promise after the signing of the memorandum of understanding, our missile production never stopped,” he said.