Trump Threatens To Bomb Iran's Power Plants And Bridges If Talks Do Not Resume

US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran's bridges and power plants next week if the country does not resume negotiations, as American and Iranian forces exchanged fire for a fourth consecutive day and Tehran condemned Washington's "brutal" military aggression, according to a Fox News interview.

"Next week it gets really bad for them," Trump said in an interview on Fox News on Tuesday. "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."

The escalation in rhetoric came as US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the completion of "an additional round of strikes against Iran" on the day, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian territory.

Iran Condemns 'Brutal' US Strikes

The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement condemning the US attacks as "brutal" and a "flagrant violation" of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. The ministry said the strikes "render futile all efforts made over the past several months to reduce tensions and restore stability in the West Asia region."

"Although only 25 days have passed since the signing of the Memorandum on the Termination of the War, the US regime has openly violated every component of that agreement and, by attacking Iran's transportation infrastructure, fishing boats, cargo vessels, meteorological facilities, and related buildings, has committed some of the most heinous war crimes," the ministry said in its statement.

The ministry also accused the US of using "the territory and facilities of countries located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf to prepare and launch its military aggression" and warned that "the source and point of origin of attacks against Iran shall constitute legitimate targets for defensive strikes" by Iran's armed forces.

The Threat To Civillian Infrastructure

Trump's threat to target civilian infrastructure echoes remarks he made in April, when he similarly warned of striking bridges and power plants in Iran. At that time, UN human rights chief Volker Türk responded by stating that "deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime.”

The 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians. Trump, however, told Fox News that US negotiators had conveyed to their Iranian counterparts on Tuesday evening that they "'better make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left'."

Trump also said he would "save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets.”

Trump Reverses 20% Fee, Maintains Blockade

Trump earlier announced that he would replace a threatened 20% toll on cargo shipping through the Strait of Hormuz with "massive" trade and investment deals with Gulf states, but said the US would maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

On Monday, Trump had declared that the US was now the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to impose a 20% charge on all cargo shipped through the waterway. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote that he had decided to replace the fee with trade and investment deals that would be "MASSIVE."

Trump also said the strait "is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran" and that "oil is flowing like never before, thanks to the awesome Power of the United States Military."

In response to Trump's announcement, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump's blockade decision "has, in a way, dismantled" an earlier agreed truce deal, according to AFP.

Escalating Conflict And Shipping Disruptions

The renewed strikes have triggered a sharp rise in oil prices as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a two-month low. US Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran had "intentionally targeted civilians" by attacking seven commercial ships, resulting in "nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured."

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday night that Iranian cruise missiles had targeted two national tankers, killing an Indian crew member and wounding eight others, four seriously. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later confirmed the strikes, saying the tankers had ignored warnings and attempted to pass through a mined route.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Kuwait's military said it was intercepting Iranian attack drones, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens, as per a report by BBC.