President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric in the ongoing conflict with Iran, vowing on Wednesday to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure—including sites near Tehran—every time Tehran fires on ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The announcement marks a significant intensification of the US military campaign, now in its 11th consecutive day of strikes against the Islamic Republic.
“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 his Truth Social network. He specified that this would include facilities “located next to, or in, the capital city of Tehran.”
The threat came shortly before Trump headed to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a dignified transfer ceremony honoring three US service members killed in Iranian attacks on US military facilities in the Gulf. “All of them said, very strongly, that we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, so we're going to honour them,” Trump said, adding that the duty was “one of the hardest things to do as president.”
The war has already cost Washington $37.5 billion (€32.8 billion), according to official figures, and rising oil prices are fueling a spike in the cost of living. Trump dismissed polls showing the conflict is unpopular with US voters ahead of November's midterm elections. “Americans don't want high gasoline prices but they're not against the war, that just came out loud and clear,” he asserted.
Regional Fallout and Civilian Casualties
The conflict has spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan's military reported intercepting four Iranian missiles over Aqaba on Wednesday, with two others falling in uninhabited areas. Plumes of smoke were visible from the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. Jordan also intercepted four Iranian drones. Iran has avoided striking Israel directly since hostilities resumed last month, apparently hoping to keep it from reentering the war, but the attack on Aqaba—within sight of Eilat—has raised concerns about a wider regional escalation.
In Bahrain, another missile alert sounded, while Saudi authorities warned residents of the Persian Gulf city of Dammam to seek shelter. The danger later passed without further explanation. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions across several provinces. The Iranian Health Ministry says US strikes over the past 11 days have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, and wounded nearly 600. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) insisted its retaliatory attacks would continue.
The US military confirmed that Wednesday's dignified transfer at Dover Air Base was for two service members killed in an Iranian attack on a base in Jordan and a service member killed during a controlled detonation of a drone in Iraq. A third service member remains missing from the Jordan attack. The total number of US deaths since the start of the war now stands at 18.
Trump has vowed to avenge the deaths of all US troops “many times over” and has stepped up threats to target civilian infrastructure. He also repeated threats on Tuesday to strike what he claims is a secret Iranian nuclear complex called “Pickaxe Mountain.” Iran denies the existence of any facility at the site, which it refers to as Kolang mountain.
The escalating conflict has significant implications for Europe, which relies heavily on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. European leaders have called for restraint, but the US campaign shows no signs of abating. For more on the broader geopolitical context, see our analysis of Trump ruling out Iran talks as war costs surge.
