Trump threatens Iran with attacks on bridges and power plants in response to ship fire

According to US Central Command (Centcom), responsible for the region, the strikes began on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. US East Coast time (11:30 p.m. CEST). The command said the strikes aimed to "further weaken Iran's ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial vessels in the region's waters." For the first time since the start of the latest military strikes, the US military deployed a B-1 strategic long-range bomber.

Military escalation: B-1 bomber deployed for the first time

The B-1 is one of the most powerful bombers in the US Air Force. It can carry up to 24 bombs and fly missions over long distances at high speed. According to information from the "Wall Street Journal," additional special forces were deployed, while bombers at bases in the US and Britain were placed on heightened alert. The troop reinforcement could, according to the newspaper's assessment, also aim to give Trump more leeway to act against the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.

The situation in the strait between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula had previously escalated. According to Tehran, the Strait of Hormuz must be considered "completely closed." The "Wall Street Journal" reports further signs of escalation. The Houthi militia had announced a "blockade" of Saudi ships on Monday — roughly one week after a new confrontation with the kingdom, which borders Yemen and has been waging war against the militia for more than ten years.

From Iran itself there are reports about the consequences of the latest strikes. Authorities spoke of at least eight dead in "hostile" attacks. Six bridges were destroyed last Friday (7/17) in the Khamir district, local media reported. Drinking water supply for at least 10,000 people was cut off after the bombing of a seawater desalination plant.

Reports from Iran: Dead and destroyed infrastructure

The Iranian leadership responded with a sharp warning. Any attack on Iran, including its infrastructure, would "bring a powerful and decisive response." Authorities announced they would treat the strikes as an act of aggression. The escalating use of "revenge" rhetoric signals, according to observers, that the ideological compulsion for confrontation has not diminished.

At the center of the strategic discussion is the island of Kharg. It lies 30 kilometers off the Iranian coast and is connected to the mainland via an underground pipeline. About 90 percent of Iranian exports are handled through the small island in the Persian Gulf, says Ahmad Vakhshiteh, director of the Moscow-based Center for Strategic Research. "Of course, the island is valuable as long as its oil facilities remain operational and undamaged," says Vakhshiteh.

Island of Kharg at the center of strategy

As a Moscow-based analyst explained in a DW interview, instead of deploying ground troops, the US could fly nighttime attacks on Kharg and other parts of southern Iran "to create the public impression that southern Iran has fallen or that its energy infrastructure is no longer functional." "Should Iran show no flexibility in negotiations, the US could increase pressure on the island of Kharg to theoretically reduce Iranian oil exports to nearly zero," the analyst said. "The crucial question, however, is whether the US aims to militarily seize Kharg, or wants to simulate a political conquest of the island through repeated attacks."

The global significance of an escalation is considerable. Shukria Bradoost, analyst for international security at the US university Virginia Tech, says: "The US wants to exert more pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz." An attack on the oil infrastructure of the island of Kharg would "then mean a significant shock to global energy markets, which could also have serious consequences for the US itself and for its President Donald Trump personally." The midterm elections in the US take place in November.

Global consequences and military preparations

Parallel to the military escalation, the US is also preparing for a possible increase in wounded soldiers. In recent days, more than 150 medics have arrived at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Rhineland-Palatinate, the main facility for treating US soldiers wounded in the Middle East. The deployment of medical personnel is considered a further indicator of an expected intensification of fighting.

Additionally, an alleged incident in the region was reported. An incident occurred approximately 130 kilometers southwest of Al-Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia. Details on possible casualties or damage were not initially officially confirmed. The tensions between the US and Iran as well as the actions of the Houthi militia in Yemen make the region overall one of the most dangerous crisis areas in the world.