Trump Threatens Iran With Retaliatory Strikes Over Hormuz Attacks

President Donald Trump escalated military tensions with Iran on Wednesday by warning that the United States would bomb and destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack launched against a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning followed the completion of the U.S. Central Command's 12th consecutive night of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure and weapons storage facilities after more than 30 commercial vessels were attacked over the past three months.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned Asian leaders that Iranian demands for control over the critical maritime chokepoint establish a dangerous precedent threatening global trade and navigation freedom. Shipping data showed commercial traffic in the crucial waterway dropping to a three-week low on Tuesday, with only three commodity vessels completing the transit as shippers grew increasingly reluctant to risk exposure to ongoing military hostilities.

In direct response to the American threats, an Iranian military source affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Tehran would strike regional infrastructure and U.S.-backed energy facilities if targeted. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed separate attacks on two oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening the Bab al-Mandab strait and intensifying concerns over broader energy supply disruptions to global markets.