This latest threat to target civilian infrastructure coincides with an increasingly unpopular war showing no signs of resolution, raising fears of further economic disruptions globally and driving up fuel prices ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in the US this fall.
Both parties remain entrenched in their conflict over the strait, a vital passage for global energy, which remains largely closed due to Iranian assaults.
The United States executed a fresh wave of strikes against Iran overnight into Wednesday, and air defenses engaged in active combat over Tehran. Iran launched missile attacks on a Jordanian city close to Israel, prompting alerts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
As talks remain largely stalled, both sides have resorted to targeting civilian infrastructure for leverage. Iran has retaliated against US strikes by hitting energy facilities and desalination plants critical to water supply in drought-stricken neighboring Gulf nations.
International law generally prohibits such actions unless the infrastructure serves military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned these attacks as unacceptable on Tuesday.
The costs of war are mounting
The closure of the strait, through which a significant portion of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime, has shaken the global economy, with repercussions extending far beyond the Middle East. A new threat from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea raises concerns about another key trade passage.
“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 posted on social media.
Trump was scheduled to arrive at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday as the remains of four US service members were due to be received. The day prior, his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, claimed in a heated Senate hearing that the US had spent $37.5 billion on the war to date.
Benchmark Brent crude oil prices surged to around $94 a barrel, and gasoline costs are once again on the rise.
Attacks shake Iran and Jordan
Jordan’s military stated it intercepted four Iranian missiles over Aqaba, while two others landed in “uninhabited areas.” Videos from residents in the nearby Israeli city of Eilat captured plumes of smoke overhead. Jordan also reported the interception of four Iranian drones.
Iran has refrained from attacking Israel since hostilities resumed last month, seemingly aiming to avoid its re-engagement in the conflict. However, the missile strike on Aqaba, visible from Israel’s Eilat, has amplified concerns over an escalation following a failed agreement to cease hostilities.
Another missile alert was issued in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia advised residents in Dammam, a Gulf city, to seek shelter. Later, Saudi officials indicated the danger had subsided without giving further details.
The US military stated earlier on Wednesday that it had completed an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting aircraft hangars and drone storage facilities.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news reported explosions across multiple provinces. The Iranian Health Ministry claimed that US strikes over the past 11 days had resulted in 53 casualties, including six women and three children, injuring nearly 600 individuals.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard asserted that its retaliatory strikes would persist.
Diplomatic efforts show no signs of progress
Before the latest round of strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a crucial mediator in the conflict, in an attempt to revive diplomatic efforts. However, it remains uncertain what alternative arrangements might emerge to end the war, which has recently devolved into a struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Zeinivand, spokesman for Iran’s Interior Ministry, claimed “diplomacy isn’t off the table” and that communications were still ongoing, though he did not provide specifics, according to IRNA.
During a regional summit in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Iran’s actions in the strait.
“If we set a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can dictate control over an international waterway, impose a toll, and threaten to destroy vessels that do not comply, we risk creating a perilous precedent that could repeat itself elsewhere in the world, including our own region,” he stated.
In response to Iran’s assaults, the US has reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump signals US may attack underground nuclear site
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump expressed skepticism about potential negotiations, stating that the US had “no interest in meeting.” He indicated that US forces might soon target an under-construction Iranian nuclear facility concealed beneath a mountain.
This site, referred to as Pickaxe Mountain, is located on the southern side of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, which was bombed by the US during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in 2025. However, Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues excavation at the site.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes while resuming uranium enrichment at levels close to weapons grade since Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term.
The US and other nations believe Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003 and may attempt to reinstate it in the future.
