President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iranian infrastructure if US forces are attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, as the United States carried out strikes on Iran for an 11th consecutive night, BBC News reports.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant whenever its forces attacked a ship in the key waterway. He said possible targets could include sites near or inside Tehran, and that the response would apply to attacks using missiles, rockets, drones or other weapons.
Iranian state media reported that air defences were activated in Tehran. Explosions were also reported in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak and Bushehr, the southern city that hosts Iran’s only nuclear power plant.
Tehran warned Washington against striking its nuclear facilities after Trump said the US would soon target an underground nuclear site near Natanz. He also named a complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran is suspected of building an undeclared enrichment facility.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would defend ships passing through the strait and said Washington remained open to diplomacy, while adding that he did not believe Iran was serious about talks.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that if Iran could not sell oil, “no-one will sell oil”, and said no infrastructure would be safe if Iranian security was not ensured.
Kuwait’s army said its air defences engaged drone attacks from Iran on Wednesday, while Bahrain and Jordan said they had intercepted drone and missile strikes. Oil prices rose after the latest escalation, reaching $94 on Wednesday.
Trump also threatened action against Houthi rebels in Yemen if the Iran-backed group proceeded with a blockade of Saudi ports. BBC News reported that two tankers carrying Saudi crude changed course after a Houthi media official said the Bab al-Mandab Strait was being closed to Saudi vessels.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of reaching an agreement to end the war within 60 days. Trump later declared the ceasefire over after Iranian attacks on ships in Hormuz and subsequent US strikes.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the war had so far cost the US about $37.5bn (£28bn). House Republicans approved a $95bn budget package on Wednesday, largely intended to fund the Iran war, though it faces difficulties in the Senate.
Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony in Dover, Delaware, on Wednesday for US service personnel recently killed in the Middle East. The Pentagon said Sgt Angel S Rampersad, 28, previously listed as missing after an Iranian strike in Jordan, was believed to have died alongside two others in the same strike.
