U.S. will bomb Iran bridges, power plants if it shoots in Hormuz
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – JULY 22: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the United States during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 22, 2026.
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President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that the United States would blow up an Iranian bridge or power plant, including one in the country’s capital, Tehran, every time Iran opened fire on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Threat transmitted through a medium Real Social postIt further escalates hostilities between the United States and the Islamic Republic, which had already flared after the collapse of the ceasefire and the recent deaths of three American soldiers whose bodies Trump was scheduled to receive later on Wednesday.
Trump’s post included the following statements: “From this point on, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran opens fire on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a Missile, Rocket, Drone, or other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy a BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT.”
Trump stated that these targets include “those located near or within the capital Tehran.”
Trump has previously threatened to attack Iran’s power plants, water facilities and other infrastructure. Experts warn that such attacks can be dangerous war crimes according to international law.
Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Washington was “committed to diplomacy” in the Middle East while accusing Iran of not being “serious” about making a deal with the United States.
His comments sound like US Central Command Iran hit its targets It continues for the 11th night in a row as it tries to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil shipping route that has become Tehran’s most important trump card in the war.
centcom in question It had hit military operations centres, drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure.
Speaking at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in the Philippines, Rubio said that the main point of disagreement between Tehran and Washington is that Iran “claims the right” to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a right it does not have under international law.
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide to control an international waterway, charge tolls, and blow up your ships if you don’t pay, we are creating a very dangerous precedent that will be repeated in other parts of the world, including in this region,” Rubio said. he warned.
“Of all the regions in the world, this is the one where I don’t need to teach the importance of freedom of navigation on international waterways,” Rubio said, appearing to make a veiled reference to China.
In separate remarks later in the day, Rubio said Washington was willing to negotiate an end to the war.
“The United States would love to reach a diplomatic agreement, we would love to reach an agreement with Iran if it were possible…they say we will no longer sponsor terrorism and we will no longer go after nuclear weapons or the things you need for nuclear weapons,” he said.
But he also said “they don’t seem serious at the moment” about making a deal, adding that Tehran made commitments under last month’s memorandum of understanding and violated it within two weeks.
The US Navy has carried out in the past “freedom of navigation” Operations around disputed islands in the South China Sea, where many Southeast Asian countries have competing claims with China, which claims almost all of the sea as its own waters with its “nine-dash line”.
This was despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that said China’s claims had no basis under international law. China refused to recognize this outcome.
Oil prices are on the rise
The United States and Iran signed an interim memorandum of understanding on June 17 that halted military operations, called for the reopening of Hormuz, and gave a 60-day period to negotiate a permanent agreement, including terms covering Iran’s nuclear program. However, the document left the future management of the Strait of Hormuz unresolved.
Iranian commented on the text It acknowledged that Tehran would assume a role in managing traffic in the strait and potentially charge fees for maritime services after an initial 60-day period, but the U.S. has argued that the waterway should remain open without mandatory Iranian fees or restrictions.
In the statement made by Iran and Oman, which share borders with the Strait of Hormuz, 23 June joint statement “All regulations regarding the Strait of Hormuz must fully respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two coastal states of the Strait.”
