(CNN)-- A senior Iranian official responded to US President Donald Trump's threat earlier Wednesday, in which he said Washington would target bridges and power plants if Tehran targeted ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The official told Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency: 'If the Americans target an Iranian bridge or power plant, Iran will respond by targeting infrastructure and bridges across the region, including energy facilities in which the United States has interests.'

He added: 'The Americans should now, after the past ten days, be fully convinced that Iran attacks any place it decides to target. Therefore, any such gamble by Trump will end up embarrassing him again.'

The Iranian military official said that Tehran 'will exercise its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz,' adding that the authorities 'will not abandon their firm resolve to control the strait.'

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: 'From now on, every time the Islamic Republic of Iran targets a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether with a shell, missile, drone, or any other weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy a bridge or power plant.'

Trump added that the targeting would include plants and bridges 'located in or near the capital Tehran.'

Washington escalated its attacks on Iran earlier this month after Tehran targeted several commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that has become a pressure point in the contentious negotiations between the warring parties.

It is worth noting that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open for free and safe passage before the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran in February at the start of the conflict. Iran considers its control over this waterway its most important leverage in negotiations, and it has repeatedly fired in recent weeks at ships it said had not communicated with Iranian authorities before crossing.

Earlier Wednesday, the Iranian Health Ministry reported that US attacks on Iran have killed at least 53 people since the beginning of July, amid escalating regional violence this month.