US President Donald Trump has threatened to expand military strikes against Iran next week, targeting key infrastructure such as power plants and bridges if Tehran refuses to negotiate a deal, as reported by The Guardian on Tuesday.
The threat follows four consecutive days of US airstrikes and the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route for oil and gas.
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"Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants.
Next week comes the bridges," Trump said, warning that the military would disable these facilities to force Iran to the negotiating table.
"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 added.
Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
Trump previously made similar statements in March, threatening to obliterate power and water stations, though destroying civilian infrastructure is illegal under international humanitarian law.
US Central Command stated the latest operations aimed to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping, while Iranian state media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm island.
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Following these events, Iranian forces reportedly launched a drone attack on a military base hosting US warplanes in Jordan.
Trump also reversed a proposal to charge ships a 20 percent security fee in the strait, opting instead for trade deals with Gulf Arab states.
This U-turn occurred after three days of intense military exchanges that threatened to reignite a broader regional war, effectively collapsing a June 17 ceasefire.
The decision to renew the blockade "has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister.
The US naval blockade remains active as both sides position themselves for continued confrontation in the strategic waterway.
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Asked how long the US strikes would carry on, Trump replied: "They'll continue until I say it's enough."
