Trump warns Iran as Hormuz closure pushes Brent to $94

US President Donald Trump warned Iran that the United States will destroy a bridge or power plant for every attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat, issued on social media, came as the US conducted an 11th night of airstrikes on Iran, with air defenses firing over Tehran. Iran responded by launching a missile attack on the Jordanian city of Aqaba, near the Israeli border, triggering security alerts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

“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,” Trump wrote.

The escalation has left an interim deal to end the war in tatters, with officials on both sides dug in and diplomatic efforts showing little public sign of progress. Iran has so far refrained from directly striking Israel, apparently hoping to prevent the country from reentering the conflict. However, the missile and drone strike on Aqaba, within sight of Israel’s Eilat, has raised immediate concerns about a further widening of the war.

For global energy markets, the central flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that remains largely closed due to Iranian attacks. During peacetime, a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes through the strait. The sustained shutdown has jolted the world economy, pushing benchmark Brent crude oil to around $94 a barrel in recent trading.

The risk to international trade is now multiplying. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have issued a new threat to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, placing a second vital trade chokepoint at risk. The combined pressure on global supply chains is driving gasoline prices higher in the United States, creating a political complication for Washington ahead of the fall midterm elections.