Topline

President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would bomb a bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz moving forward, escalating his rhetoric against Iran as the war as a prolonged conflict seems increasingly likely.

President Donald Trump stops to speak to reporters before boarding Air Force One en route to Dover Air Force Base on July 22, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Trump said on Truth Social, “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, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran.”

Trump echoed earlier statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the U.S. has tried to negotiate in good faith with Iran “now for a year and a half,” but we’re also not going to sit by and let ships be blown up or Americans be attacked.”

Rubio left open the possibility to restart negotiations, but said, “the problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks . . . if they’re serious, we’re serious.”

Trump’s threat comes after U.S. Central Command said Tuesday night it had completed its 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, targeting military infrastructure and weapons storage facilities.

Central Command said Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months, insisting that despite the attacks, the strait “remains open for commercial vessel transit.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.