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(LEAD) Trump-Hormuz tension
WASHINGTON, July 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that the United States will bomb an Iranian bridge or power plant whenever the Islamic Republic fires at a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, amid growing concerns over a potential return to full-scale war between the two countries.
Trump made the remarks in a social media post after he threatened last week to "knock out" Iran's power plants and bridges unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table to negotiate an end to the Middle East conflict.
"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, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran," he wrote on Truth Social.
His remarks came as military tensions between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate, with the two countries hardening their rhetoric against each other and trading strikes.
Concerns have also lingered that a new front in their conflict could emerge as the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has threatened to impose a blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, an alternative energy shipping corridor amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea and other countries, which rely heavily on energy supplies from the Middle East, have been carefully watching developments in the conflict as it continues to affect global energy markets.
During a press availability on Tuesday, Trump claimed that Iran "desperately" wants to meet with U.S. negotiators for nuclear talks, calling on Tehran to engage in dialogue "in a meaningful way."
He also warned that the U.S. military will conduct strikes on Pickaxe Mountain -- an underground Iranian site suspected of housing Tehran's covert nuclear operations -- "pretty soon and very heavily."
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