BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. U.S. President
Donald Trump has warned that Washington will respond to any Iranian
attack on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz by targeting Iranian
infrastructure.
Trump made the statement in a post on his Truth Social
account.
"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," Trump
wrote.
Meanwhile, the latest escalation in U.S.-Iranian relations began
on July 8. On that day, for the first time since the signing of the
memorandum between Washington and Tehran, U.S. forces launched
several waves of strikes on Iranian territory, allegedly in
response to an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the end of
the ceasefire with Iran. In response, Tehran began attacking U.S.
facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and
Oman.
Relations between the United States and Iran remain deeply
strained over Tehran's nuclear program, regional influence,
sanctions and broader security issues. The two sides have engaged
in intermittent indirect talks in recent years, but tensions have
repeatedly flared. Washington continues to enforce extensive
sanctions on Iran, while Tehran has criticized U.S. policy and
called for their removal.
