Trump threatens to bomb Iranian bridges if ships attacked

Tensions in the Persian Gulf escalated on July 22 as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to target critical Iranian infrastructure in response to any future attacks on shipping. In a social media post, Trump stated that from that point forward, each time Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, including those in or near the capital city of Tehran. This warning came as U.S. airstrikes on Iran continued for an eleventh consecutive night, targeting what U.S. Central Command described as military operations centers, drone storage sites, and logistics infrastructure to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.

Iranian forces have maintained pressure on the vital waterway. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that on July 21, an oil tanker caught fire after an explosion while attempting to pass through a U.S.-encouraged route south of the strait, forcing two accompanying tankers to turn back. A shipping industry analyst reported that very few large commercial vessels are currently transiting the strait despite U.S. military assertions that it remains open. Over the past three months,...