In a stern warning to Tehran, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Iran will lose a bridge or power plant for every ship attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, the US president wrote, "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."
The US president's warning comes as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried attacks on civilian infrastructure as "unacceptable" on Tuesday. International law prohibits attack on civilian infrastructure unless they are being used for military purposes or terror operations.
After the war resumed following the cancellation of a fragile ceasefire, both the US and Iran have sought leverage by attacking civilian infrastructure. Iran had earlier targeted energy infrastructure and desalination plants in the Gulf countries.
This comes as Iran's Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand said "diplomacy isn't called off" and that messages were still being exchanged, reports IRNA. Earlier, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, which has been mediating between the two sides along with Qatar.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently denounced Iran's move to control the a crucial waterway for global energy. "If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don't pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region," he said.
