WASHINGTON/DUBAI – U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the United States could expand its military campaign against Iran to include attacks on power plants and bridges if Tehran refuses to return to negotiations, as American forces launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday.
According to Reuters, Trump said Iran faces increasingly severe military action unless it agrees to negotiate, signaling that critical infrastructure could become the next targets in the conflict. His remarks came as U.S. forces carried out new strikes on Iranian coastal defense systems, cruise missile sites and other military installations linked to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest escalation follows the Trump administration’s decision to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, arguing that the measures are necessary to prevent further attacks on international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints. Roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass through the narrow waterway, making any disruption a major concern for world energy markets.
Iran responded by launching attacks against U.S. military positions in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan while warning it could further restrict regional energy exports in retaliation. Iranian officials have also threatened to expand efforts to disrupt shipping routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
The renewed hostilities have intensified concerns over global oil supplies and inflation. Oil prices climbed as traders reacted to the prospect of prolonged instability in the Gulf, while governments and shipping companies continued to monitor the security situation in one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.
The current fighting follows the collapse of a temporary ceasefire and stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Since then, both sides have exchanged military strikes, with the United States saying its operations are intended to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping, while Iran has maintained that it is responding to U.S. and allied military actions.
Trump’s warning about possible strikes on power plants and bridges represents a significant escalation because such facilities are generally considered civilian infrastructure, although they may become lawful.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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