US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, 15 July threatened to target Iran's power plants and bridges as early as next week unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table, warning that American strikes would intensify sharply in the days ahead. The remarks, made in a live interview with Fox News, mark one of the most explicit escalatory warnings issued by the president since the US military campaign against Iran began.

Trump's Escalation Warning

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump said in the interview.

The president stated that energy infrastructure would be held back as a final resort. “I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets, yeah,” he said. “Next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges.” He added: “We’re gonna knock out all their power plants. We’re gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Iran's Position and Trump's Assessment

Asked whether he believed Iran was genuinely interested in reaching an agreement, Trump replied: “I think they have no choice.” He said strikes would continue until he personally determined that the campaign had achieved its purpose. “They’ll continue until I say, it’s enough,” he said. “They have some fight left, but they don’t have much.”

Notably, Trump confirmed that US representatives had communicated with Iranian officials approximately one hour before the interview. The message, he indicated, was blunt: “You better make a deal. You’re not gonna have any, you’re not gonna have anybody left.”

Kharg Island and Ground Campaign

Trump declined to confirm whether the United States intended to seize Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iranian oil exports, but acknowledged that US forces had already struck the island while sparing its oil facilities due to potential spillover effects on the global economy. “At some point we could,” he said about targeting oil infrastructure, adding: “But I think it’s unlikely.”

The president also refused to categorically rule out a limited ground campaign. “I would say no, if I thought it was appropriate,” he said when pressed. “Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.” The remark raised questions about potential involvement by regional partners.

Strait of Hormuz: Open for Some, Closed for Iran

Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz remained open to international shipping but was effectively closed to Iranian vessels in both directions. “It’s open if people wanna go through it. We’re not opening it for Iran,” he said.

Shipping data cited during the broadcast showed only 10 vessels passed through the strait on Monday — less than 10 per cent of normal traffic through the critical waterway. This comes amid already-elevated global energy market anxiety, with the strait accounting for roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade. Any sustained disruption could have cascading consequences for crude prices worldwide.

What Happens Next

The trajectory of the conflict now hinges on whether Tehran responds to back-channel contacts and agrees to return to talks before the threatened infrastructure strikes begin next week. Analysts warn that targeting power plants and bridges would represent a significant civilian impact threshold, potentially drawing international scrutiny. No Iranian official response had been publicly issued at the time of the interview.