United States President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to target Iranian infrastructure if Tehran attacks commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a further escalation in tensions as military operations in the region continued.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would retaliate against Iranian infrastructure each time Iran fired on a vessel transiting the strategic 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.”
Trump added that potential targets included infrastructure "located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran".
Iran responded by warning it would retaliate against U.S.-linked infrastructure and energy assets across the region if Washington followed through on the threat.
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained committed to diplomacy but questioned Tehran's willingness to negotiate.
Speaking at a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in the Philippines, Rubio said Iran was insisting on a right to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which he argued is not recognised under international law.
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East, where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent, which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region.”
Rubio also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation, making an apparent reference to broader maritime disputes in the Indo-Pacific.
Later in the day, Rubio reiterated that Washington remained open to a negotiated settlement.
“The U.S. would love to reach a diplomatic settlement, we’d love to reach an agreement if it were possible with Iran … where they say we’ll no longer sponsor terrorism and we will not pursue a nuclear weapon or the things that you need for a nuclear weapon.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most important oil shipping routes, carrying a significant share of global crude exports. The renewed exchange of threats has heightened concerns over the security of international energy supplies and freedom of navigation in the region.
