Strait of Hormuz: Trump Threatens Iran with Retaliation Over Ship Attacks
President Trump is once again sharpening his tone toward Tehran: should Iran continue to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would destroy civilian infrastructure. New threats are also coming from Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has once again threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran. According to his statements, the United States will in future "bomb and destroy" a bridge or power plant in Iran every time the Islamic Republic attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Other civilian infrastructure objects in or near Tehran would also be targeted, he announced on his Truth Social platform.
Attacks on civilian infrastructure can constitute a war crime under international law. Trump has repeatedly threatened the destruction of Iranian bridges and power plants over recent months. However, such attacks had initially not materialized.
Last week, media outlets reported on US military strikes against several bridges and an airport in Iran. There has been no official confirmation of this so far. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a US official, that the attacks on bridges were intended to disrupt supply routes to an Iranian naval base on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Calls It War Crimes
Iran's UN ambassador subsequently declared that the US attacks on civilian infrastructure constituted war crimes. In response, Iran launched fresh attacks against targets in the Gulf states of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, as well as Jordan, all of which are allied with Washington. According to government statements from Kuwait, Iran also struck civilian targets such as electricity generation and desalination facilities.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern through a spokesperson over attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and across the region. "Such attacks are unacceptable."
In response to Trump's latest announcement, Iran in turn threatened retaliation should the United States attack infrastructure such as bridges or power plants, as the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, citing military sources.
Overnight Strikes on Targets in Iran
In recent days, Trump had already been steadily escalating his rhetoric toward Tehran in the stalled Iran war. Overnight, the US military also struck numerous targets in Iran once again. Iranian media reported attacks on, among other things, Larak Island, which lies near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command CENTCOM stated today on the online platform X that the strikes were intended to weaken "Iran's ability to interfere with shipping traffic." According to state media, air defenses were also activated in the capital Tehran. The Iranian capital had not been attacked for months.
