US Will Bomb Iran’s Bridge, Power Plant After Every Attack on Ships in Strait of Hormuz: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (July 22) renewed his threats of striking Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants located inside or near the capital Tehran, if it attacks any ship transiting the vital Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.”
The US president’s threat comes as the US military carried out its 11th consecutive night of strikes against the Islamic Republic over Tehran’s attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
US-Iran Tensions Push Oil Prices Higher
Fighting over the strategic strait led to the collapse of a preliminary deal between the United States and Iran reached on June 17. However, top US diplomat Marco Rubio again reiterated Washington’s stance that it was willing to find a negotiated agreement with Tehran.
“We remain open to working it out in a negotiated way. But right now, they don’t seem to be serious about that,” Rubio said at a Southeast Asian ministers’ meeting in Manila.
He insisted that the US was right to strike Iran because it was attacking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and planned to rebuild its missile and drone capabilities.
The United States has repeatedly maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. However, traffic has dipped significantly, leading to a surge in world oil prices.
On Wednesday, oil prices rose sharply as the main contract, Brent North Sea crude, surpassed $95 for the first time in nearly six weeks, with the United States and Iran carrying out more strikes. Brent oil jumped 4.4 per cent to $95.02 per barrel, while the key US contract, West Texas Intermediate, rallied 4.5 per cent to $88.16.