Trump Threatens to Bomb Iranian Power Plants and Bridges to Force Talks

Escalating Threats and the Deadline for Negotiations

President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Tehran in a Fox News interview that aired Tuesday night. He explicitly warned that the U.S. would begin striking critical civilian infrastructure if an agreement is not reached by next week. “Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges,” the U.S. president said. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Trump also told viewers of the Special Report with Bret Baier program, “I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets.” He noted that U.S. negotiators had conveyed a message to their Iranian counterparts on Tuesday evening that they better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left.

This is not the first time such threats have been made. Back in April, Trump threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges and power plants. In March, he had similarly threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power stations and fresh water plants if Tehran did not agree to peace terms “shortly.” Regarding such threats, UN human rights chief Volker Türk responded by stating: “Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime.” The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.

Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Military Engagement

The latest threats arrive amid a breakdown of the interim deal between the two countries. The U.S. reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports and ships, which came into force early Wednesday. In response, Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Wednesday: Regional energy exports are either shared by all or denied to all. The IRGC added that the strait would remain closed until the end of America’s evils, further disrupting shipping in the waterway that served as a choke point for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas before the war.

For more on this story, see US Strikes Iran as Trump Vows Control and Tolls for Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) stated that its forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue “degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strait. In a statement late on Tuesday, U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran had “intentionally targeted civilians” in the region by attacking seven commercial ships, which had resulted in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured.

The conflict has incurred significant human costs. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that at least 30 civilians have been killed by U.S. strikes in southern Iran in recent days. Additionally, at least seven Iranian soldiers were killed in U.S. strikes on the Bampur military base in the south-east of the country.

Regional Impact and Military Escalation

The exchange of fire between the two countries has continued for five days. Iran launched airstrikes on Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, countries that host U.S. forces. The IRGC released video footage on Tuesday appearing to show missiles being launched from an undisclosed location toward U.S. targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.

• Jordan: The government said it intercepted three ballistic missiles from Iran on Wednesday.
• Kuwait: The military said it was working to extinguish a fire caused by Iranian attacks and later reported it was engaging hostile drone attacks.
• Bahrain: The interior ministry urged citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place as the nation activated air raid sirens.
• United Arab Emirates: The UAE stated on Monday night that Iranian cruise missiles had targeted two national tankers, killing an Indian crew member and wounding eight others, four of them seriously.

The IRGC confirmed the strikes on tankers via a statement to Telegram, claiming the vessels had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems, and attempted to pass through a mined route.

Economic Strategy and Future Uncertainty

The economic landscape remains volatile as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually stalled. Trump previously threatened a 20% fee on all Strait of Hormuz cargo shipping but later reversed that threat, stating it would be replaced by “massive” trade and investment deals with Gulf states. Despite this reversal, the U.S. resumed its blockade of Iranian ports, and the dispute over the strait continues to threaten to pull the region into a total war.

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