U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that any Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz—whether by missile, rocket, drone or any other weapon—will be met with the United States bombing and destroying one Iranian bridge or power plant, including facilities in or near Tehran. In the same statement he warned that the United States could also strike the suspected Iranian nuclear site known as “Pickaxe Mountain” “pretty soon, and very heavily.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a Southeast Asian foreign ministers’ meeting in the Philippines, reiterated Washington’s willingness to pursue a diplomatic solution but warned that Iran must not be allowed to control oil flows through the Strait, citing the risk of a dangerous precedent for other chokepoints such as the South China Sea. Rubio accused Iran of lacking seriousness in peace negotiations and said, “If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what’s necessary to protect our interests, and also the interests of our allies.”
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met with Pakistani mediators this week, and a senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators have offered a 10‑day cease‑fire to revive the framework deal signed in June between the United States and Iran. Despite these talks, Trump expressed a pessimistic view, stating that Washington has “no interest in meeting” with Iran.
The U.S. military reported its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets on Wednesday morning. In addition to the bridge and power‑plant threat, Trump mentioned the possibility of targeting the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility. Iran responded with a warning that any attack on its nuclear sites would trigger a major expansion of the war. Tehran has also struck U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran‑backed Houthi forces in Yemen warned shipping companies that vessels loading or discharging Saudi oil could be attacked, potentially threatening crude flows through the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea. Trump said the closure of that conduit had not occurred but pledged that the United States would “take care of it” if it were closed. Three Saudi‑crude‑laden tankers chose to reroute via the Suez Canal rather than pass the Yemeni coast.
Oil markets reacted, with prices climbing to near six‑week highs, stoking fears of an energy shock that could ignite an inflationary wave and prompt central‑bank interest‑rate hikes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Congress that the cost of the U.S. war on Iran has risen to $37.5 billion and that the administration is seeking a supplemental funding package of $90 billion, a large portion of which is earmarked for the Iran conflict. Earlier reports indicated the Pentagon’s internal estimate of total war costs could be between $80 billion and $100 billion, driven largely by repairs to bases damaged by Iranian attacks.