Donald Trump has warned Iran that any further attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz will trigger direct US strikes on critical infrastructure, raising the stakes in an already volatile confrontation threatening one of the world’s most important energy routes.
In a statement posted on X, the US president said American forces would respond to any Iranian missile, drone or rocket attack on vessels passing through the strategic waterway by targeting Iranian infrastructure.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He added that potential targets could include facilities in and around Tehran, signalling that Washington’s response would extend beyond military sites and into the country’s wider economic infrastructure.
The warning comes as tensions continue to rise around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping channel through which a significant share of global energy supplies pass. Any prolonged disruption to the route risks sending oil prices higher and intensifying pressure on already strained international markets.
Trump has issued similar threats in recent months as Iran’s actions in the region have escalated. Earlier warnings included demands that Tehran reopen the strait, threats to destroy power stations and warnings of devastating consequences if attacks on shipping continued.
The latest remarks come as the cost of the conflict continues to mount. The US military campaign against Iran has already consumed tens of billions of dollars, while 18 American service members have reportedly been killed and hundreds wounded during the fighting.
The escalation has also unsettled Washington’s allies in the Middle East, with some governments expressing concern that expanding strikes could trigger a wider regional conflict.
For global markets, the Strait of Hormuz has become the critical pressure point. Any further military escalation risks transforming a regional confrontation into an international energy crisis, with shipping, oil prices and supply chains all exposed to the next move from Tehran and Washington.
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