President Donald Trump declared on 14 July that the United States would expand its military campaign against Iran to include power stations and bridges starting next week if Tehran does not return to negotiations. The threat, delivered in a Fox News interview, came as US forces conducted a fourth consecutive day of strikes and reimposed a comprehensive naval blockade on Iranian ports, effectively collapsing the 17 June ceasefire memorandum brokered by Pakistan, Oman and Qatar.

From Washington, the administration frames the escalation as a means to compel Iran back to the table. Trump stated that US representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour before the interview, but he also expressed distrust, saying Iran “breaks every deal.” The Pentagon has notified Congress of renewed hostilities, granting the president 60 days of combat authority without further legislative approval. US Central Command says the blockade and strikes aim to eliminate what it calls “emerging threats” and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, though maritime traffic through the waterway has dropped by roughly 90 per cent. Trump claimed military objectives had been met and that Iran’s capabilities were “degraded to a very low level,” while acknowledging some residual fighting capacity.

Tehran, through deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, declared the June memorandum “no longer exists” and accused Washington of violating its commitments first. Iranian state media reported that US projectiles struck a target on Qeshm Island in the strategic strait. Gharibabadi warned that tightening military and economic pressure would not force Iran back to negotiations, a stance echoed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ vow to fight until a “victorious end.” Viewed from Tehran, the US blockade and strikes are seen as a breach that nullifies the earlier understanding.

The threatened shift to power plants and bridges would mark a significant departure from strikes on military assets, potentially disrupting civilian electricity supply, transport networks and economic activity. International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilian objects, and attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm are prohibited. The renewed hostilities follow Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which the US cited as the trigger for the current round. The blockade, which during its previous iteration in April prevented Iran from exporting “a single barrel of oil” according to its own negotiator, is now back in force. Diplomats and international organisations continue to urge both sides to return to talks, but with the memorandum voided and both parties trading accusations, no new negotiation track is publicly active. The US president indicated strikes would persist “until I say it’s enough,” leaving the immediate trajectory dependent on unilateral decisions in Washington.