Trump threatens Iranian bridges, power plants as war enters fifth week
Iran downed a U.S. F-15 jet and struck Gulf oil facilities Friday as the conflict escalated, with Trump warning of further infrastructure attacks.
12:39 PM
The U.S.-Iranian conflict entered its 35th day Friday with intensified military operations across the region and escalating threats of infrastructure destruction.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that U.S. armed forces "have not even started to destroy what is left in Iran," warning that bridges and electrical power plants would be targeted next. Trump stated that "the new regime knows what it has to do, and it has to do it FAST," without specifying what actions he was demanding.
Iran responded to Trump's threats by intensifying attacks across the region. Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15 jet over Iranian territory Friday; the fate of the aircraft's crew remained unclear as U.S. and Iranian forces searched for the pilot. Iran also launched missile strikes against Israel, with missiles reaching Tel Aviv, and conducted drone and missile attacks on Gulf facilities.
Kuwait reported that Iranian attacks struck its largest oil refinery, setting some units on fire, and hit a desalination plant. Iran denied responsibility for the Kuwait attacks and blamed Israel instead. The United Kingdom condemned what it called the "irresponsible" attack on the refinery and announced it would send air defense systems to the region.
In Lebanon, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee announced plans to bomb the Sohmor and Mashghara bridges over the Litani River in the western Bekaa Valley, claiming they are used by Hezbollah. An Al Jazeera correspondent reported from Tyre that these bridges serve as "main arteries for goods, for people, for movement" between the rest of Lebanon and the western Bekaa region.
The conflict has also affected United Nations peacekeeping operations. Three Unifil peacekeepers were wounded Friday after an explosion at one of the mission's positions in southern Lebanon, with two sustaining serious injuries. An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed Sunday and two others Monday in the same region near the Israeli border. Italy's Defense Ministry said its Shama base in Lebanon was struck by rocket fire, causing damage to military infrastructure but no casualties among Italian soldiers.
Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil supply, continued Friday with dozens of countries—excluding the U.S. and Israel—launching renewed diplomatic initiatives. Iran has largely blocked the strait in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed during a phone call Friday on the need for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Persian Gulf, according to the Kremlin.
Trump stated Friday that with additional time, the U.S. could "easily open the Strait of Hormuz, take the oil and make a fortune," describing it as a potential windfall for the world.