Trump says U.S. will destroy a bridge or power plant for each Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press By — Collin Binkley, Associated Press Collin Binkley, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-says-u-s-will-destroy-a-bridge-or-power-plant-for-each-iranian-attack-in-the-strait-of-hormuz Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump says U.S. will destroy a bridge or power plant for each Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz World Jul 22, 2026 3:42 PM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that the U.S. will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's latest threat to target civilian infrastructure came as the unpopular war spirals with no clear off-ramp, threatening further worldwide economic disruption and sending fuel prices up ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall. Both sides have dug in on their dispute over the strait, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks. READ MORE: Senators grilled Hegseth on Iran. Here are 3 big moments from the hearing The U.S. carried out another wave of strikes on Iran overnight into Wednesday, and air defenses opened fire over the capital, Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city on Israel's doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. With negotiations largely stalled, both sides have sought leverage by targeting civilian infrastructure. Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants that provide drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries. WATCH: Trump attends dignified transfer of 4 U.S. service members killed in the Middle East International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried such attacks as "unacceptable" on Tuesday. The costs of war are mounting The closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the world economy with effects far beyond the Middle East. A new threat by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea puts another trade chokepoint at risk. "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," Trump wrote on social media. Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the arrival of the remains of four U.S. service members. A day earlier, his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, estimated in a fiery Senate hearing that the U.S. had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far. WAT