Trump: If Iran strikes a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, we will destroy a bridge or a power plant

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike an Iranian bridge or power plant in response to any attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social: “From now on, whenever Iran fires on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz—whether by missile, rocket, drone, or any other device or weapon—the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or one power plant, including those located near or within the capital, Tehran.”

In press remarks before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base en route to Dover Air Force Base to attend a ceremony honoring the remains of U.S. military personnel killed in operations in the Middle East, Trump said that “Iran will pay a heavy price for killing American soldiers and its capabilities will be destroyed,” emphasizing that Americans are not against war but are against rising energy prices.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced yesterday morning that it had successfully completed the latest wave of military strikes against Iran. In a statement on its official X account, CENTCOM said, “Our forces successfully completed the eleventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran.” The statement added that the U.S. strikes targeted Iranian military command centers, naval capabilities, drone storage facilities, and military logistical infrastructure. It clarified that these strikes aimed to further undermine Iran’s ability to threaten commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM noted that over the past three months, Iran had attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, stating that these unjustified attacks endangered the lives of hundreds of innocent sailors and undermined freedom of navigation.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth threatened Iran with a response “ten times stronger” if it targeted commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth said that “Iran has been given every opportunity to negotiate and demonstrate that it is acting reasonably regarding the Strait of Hormuz… but if it fires on commercial shipping vessels, we will strike it, as the President said, with ten times greater force, and every night we continue to weaken it further.” He added that President Trump “has all the necessary options available, and if they want to talk, they can; otherwise, they can deal with the Department of War.” He reiterated, “Every night we continue to weaken it further,” noting that the U.S. administration is keeping all options open if Tehran does not move toward negotiations. He stressed that the military strikes directed by Washington against Iran aim to prevent it from threatening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In this context, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth estimated the cost of the war against Iran at $37.5 billion so far. During a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he defended a request for approximately $67 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon, Hegseth said, “Our current estimate stands at $37.5 billion.” Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed Congress that the funding request was “urgent” and “necessary” to cover Pentagon expenses related to the war with Iran through the end of September.