US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could target Iran's bridges and power plants if Tehran does not return to negotiations, as military tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. In an interview with Fox News aired on Tuesday, Trump said Iran had until next week to resume talks or face attacks on critical infrastructure, adding that US negotiators had urged Tehran to "make a deal."
The warning came as the US and Iran exchanged fire for a fourth consecutive day. The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had launched another round of strikes aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington also resumed its blockade of Iranian ports, while shipping traffic through the strategic waterway slowed significantly, pushing global oil prices higher.
Trump's remarks have renewed concerns over international humanitarian law. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk had previously warned that deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants could amount to a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, following similar threats made by Trump earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said Iranian missile strikes hit two of its oil tankers, killing one Indian crew member and injuring eight others, including four seriously. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed the vessels had ignored security warnings, switched off their navigation systems, and attempted to pass through a mined route, though the claims could not be independently verified.
