The United States has issued its latest military warning as President Donald Trump vowed to destroy a power station or bridge in Iran for every attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The stark warning came after the US military launched its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes on various targets in Iranian territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that Tehran was not serious about continuing peace talks, despite Pakistani mediators trying to revive 10-day ceasefire talks. Rubio also stressed that the US would not let Iran control the Strait of Hormuz due to the risk of creating a dangerous 'president' in other global shipping lanes such as the South China Sea.
The fighting is expected to escalate after Trump threatened to attack Iran's uranium enrichment facility at "Pickaxe Mountain". This move received a strong response from Tehran, which warned that any aggression on its nuclear facilities would trigger a full-scale war conflict throughout the Middle East region.
The conflict has now spread to new zones as Yemen's Houthi group threatens to attack any ship carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Avoiding security risks, several oil tankers have reportedly diverted their shipping routes to the Suez Canal, sending Brent crude prices above $93 a barrel.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress that Iran's war costs have reached $37.5 billion for the current fiscal year. An additional $90 billion in funding has been requested to cover military costs, although a Pentagon report estimates the actual cost could soar to $100 billion due to repairs to damaged military bases.
