WASHINGTON / Anadolu

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to bomb infrastructure sites in Iran, including bridges and power plants, in response to any attack Tehran might launch on ships or navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said in a post on his "Truth Social" platform that the United States would target "a bridge or a power plant in or near Tehran" for every ship attacked in the strait, stressing that any future U.S. response would be "more severe and harsh" than before.

He added that Washington's deterrence policy would include targeting vital facilities of great importance, noting that the scope of strikes could extend to the Iranian capital and its vicinity.

Trump said: "As of this moment, if the Islamic Republic of Iran fires on any vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, whether using a missile, a shell, a drone, or any other means, the United States will bomb and destroy a bridge or a power plant, including those located in or near the capital Tehran."

Trump's remarks come after he announced the killing of three additional U.S. soldiers in attacks he said Iran had launched over the past days on U.S. bases in the Middle East, raising the total U.S. military fatalities in the ongoing escalation with Iran to 18 soldiers.