The Iranian government escalated its tone this Thursday and vowed to "crush" strategic targets in the Middle East if the current U.S. president, Donald Trump, follows through on threats to bomb Iranian infrastructure in the coming days.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night, Trump warned that American forces would target the country's essential facilities as early as next week if diplomacy does not advance.
"Next week the situation gets really bad for them, because next week it will be the power plants," he said. "Next week it will be the bridges. We will destroy all their power plants. We will destroy all their bridges, unless they come to the negotiating table."
In a statement on Telegram, a spokesperson for the Iranian military high command responded that all regional infrastructure "will be crushed by the steel blows of the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; so that no trace remains and it will be as if they had never existed."
The focus of the dispute is the Strait of Hormuz, a decisive maritime route for global oil transport. Tehran said it will not accept any foreign interference in the passage.
"This is Iran's invincible red line," the spokesperson declared, reinforcing that the U.S. will not have permission to operate in the region.
U.S. Central Command confirmed a new round of attacks during the early morning, ending at 21h Eastern Time. According to Centcom, command centers, air defense systems, and missile and drone capabilities were hit.
"CENTCOM used precision munitions to strike targets at various locations, including Bandar Abbas," the command said in a post on X.
The Iranian foreign ministry also signaled retaliation. "Our hands are not tied," said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson during an event in Tehran, according to state media.
In the markets, oil prices fell on Thursday morning. The September WTI contract dropped 0,5%, quoted at US$ 84,42 per barrel, while other futures were also trading slightly lower amid investor caution in the face of the escalation in the Persian Gulf.