President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Wednesday, declaring that the United States will destroy a bridge or a power plant for every attack launched against shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning comes amid escalating military actions, rising global energy costs, and a mounting financial toll for the U.S. war effort, which began in February.
Writing on social media, Trump outlined the new retaliatory policy, stating that "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." In response to the persistent threat to shipping, the U.S. has also re-imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran's leadership quickly countered the threat. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that his country would implement an "eye for an eye" defense doctrine. Posting on X, Araghchi warned that "any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response." Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has been leading negotiations with the U.S., dismissed Trump's warnings. Qalibaf asserted that "if our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe," adding that the security of the strait depends on the absence of American forces and that conditions in the waterway will not return to prewar terms.
The escalation has already caused significant disruption to global markets. Benchmark Brent crude oil surged to more than $93 a barrel, a sharp increase from less than $72 earlier this month, which was near prewar levels. Gasoline prices are also rising as a result of the tension. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global trade chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world's traded oil and gas flowed during peacetime. Iran has claimed the right to manage traffic and potentially charge tolls in the strait, which was previously open and toll-free. Tehran has targeted vessels using a U.S.-supervised route designed to remain outside Iranian control. Adding to the maritime anxiety, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, threatening another critical trade route.
Beyond the threats to shipping, Trump signaled that U.S. forces may soon target a highly secure, underground Iranian nuclear facility. The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La or "Pickaxe Mountain," is under construction on the south side of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. While Natanz was heavily bombed by the U.S. during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025's 12-day war between Iran and Israel, Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iranian forces continue excavation. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump expressed a dim view of diplomatic prospects, stating the U.S. has "no interest" in further talks until Iran is ready to meet "in a meaningful way."
On Wednesday, Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East. Trump described attending the ceremony as "one of the hardest things to do as a president." This marks the third such ceremony Trump has attended since the outbreak of the war in February. The announcement of the service members' deaths followed a fiery Senate hearing on Tuesday, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated that the U.S. has spent $37.5 billion on the war so far.
The human cost of the conflict continues to rise on both sides. The U.S. military confirmed Wednesday that it had completed its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian targets, including aircraft hangars and drone storage facilities. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions across multiple provinces, and the country's Health Ministry stated that U.S. strikes over the last 11 days have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, while wounding nearly 600 others. In Minab, Iran, funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 22, 2026, for victims identified through DNA testing nearly five months after they were killed in a February 28 U.S. strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School.
Despite the heavy U.S. bombardment, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard insisted its retaliatory strikes would continue. Overnight, air defenses fired over the capital city of Tehran as the U.S. launched fresh strikes. Iran also launched a missile and drone attack targeting the Jordanian city of Aqaba, which sits adjacent to the Israeli city of Eilat. Jordan’s military reported that it intercepted four Iranian missiles and four drones over Aqaba, though two missiles landed in uninhabited areas. The attack on Aqaba raised fears of a wider regional conflict, as Iran had previously avoided striking Israel since hostilities resumed last month in hopes of keeping Israel out of the war. Missile alerts were also triggered in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia warned residents of the Persian Gulf city of Dammam to seek shelter, though Saudi officials later announced the danger had passed without providing details.
On the diplomatic front, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure by both sides, calling such attacks "unacceptable" on Tuesday. With formal negotiations stalled, both nations have targeted civilian infrastructure to gain leverage; Iran has previously responded to U.S. attacks by striking energy facilities and desalination plants that supply drinking water to neighboring Gulf countries. International law generally bans attacks on civilian infrastructure unless it is being utilized for military purposes.
In Manila, Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz during a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Rubio warned that allowing a nation to control an international waterway and attack ships over tolls would set "a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world." While Rubio noted that the U.S. remains open to negotiations, he stated that Iran does not currently seem serious about talks, shifting the immediate U.S. focus to protecting maritime shipping.
Despite the bleak outlook, some backchannel communication continues. Iran's Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand stated that "diplomacy isn't called off" and that messages are still being exchanged. An anonymous diplomat confirmed that regional countries, including Pakistan and Turkey, are actively pushing for de-escalation, though they acknowledged that the prospects for immediate improvement remain slim.
