President Donald Trump said that he would order strikes on Iranian bridges and power plants in response to attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. 

“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 President wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “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 has bombed civilian infrastructure in Iran over the past week, including desalination plants, bridges, and power plants. Iran has responded with attacks on similar sites in Gulf states aligned with the US. Iran has also hit US military bases in the region, resulting in over a dozen American casualties. 

Throughout the conflict, Trump has repeatedly threatened to target civilian infrastructure, a war crime, in Truth Social posts. The President often has backed away from following through on his most extreme threats, such as saying he would eliminate Iranian society. 

Trump often tells reporters that the purpose of the strikes is to force Iran to agree to a deal on his terms. However, the intelligence community has informed the President that his plan is dubious. The Washington Post reported speaking with multiple US intelligence officials who said that the CIA-led assessment concluded that the current strikes are unlikely to alter Iran’s position towards negotiations. 

It added that Washington and Tehran are now locked in “an indefinite limbo between peace and war.” In June, the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding that established the conditions for a 60-day ceasefire and the framework for a deal to end the war.