Washington DC [US], July 22 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) issued an explicit warning to Tehran, declaring that any future Iranian attack on commercial or naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz will trigger direct US military strikes against critical infrastructure inside Iran, including targets within the capital city of Tehran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, 'From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran.'

The statement introduces a strict, tit-for-tat doctrine aimed at deterring maritime disruption along one of the world's most vital commercial oil transit routes. The threat comes amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing efforts by the US and its allies to guarantee free navigation through critical maritime chokepoints in West Asia.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused the United States of violating international law through repeated attacks and threats against Iran's nuclear facilities.

'The repeated US attacks and threats against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities not only constitute a flagrant violation of the core principles of the UN Charter, international law, and the relevant resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors, General Conference, and UN Security Council, but also reveal the United States' deep-rooted enmity toward Iran's scientific progress and technological development,' Baghaei said in a post on X.

https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2079881070493786271

He maintained that Iran's nuclear programme had been fully declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in line with its safeguards obligations and rejected US claims regarding Kolang Kouh.

'Iran's nuclear activities have been fully declared to the IAEA in accordance with its safeguards obligations. Washington's obsessive focus on Kolang Kouh where no nuclear activity is taking place is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage,' he said.

Baghaei also questioned the response of the UN nuclear watchdog, asking, 'By the way, where is the Director General of the IAEA, who is also a candidate for UN Secretary-General?'

He added, 'The Iranian people stand resolute and united, ready to confront with full strength any act of U.S. hostility or violation of their country's sovereignty and national security.'

The warning comes as the United States has reportedly executed a missile strike against Iran's Larak Island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, marking a fresh escalation in the expanding military confrontation between Washington and Tehran across critical Middle Eastern shipping lanes.

According to Iranian news agency Tasnim, the strike occurred on Wednesday afternoon, with local residents reporting a powerful blast.

'At 2:48 pm, the island of Larak was targeted by an American missile,' Tasnim reported. 'The competent authorities are currently carrying out an investigation to determine the scale of the attack, the exact point of impact and the extent of the potential damage'.Washington has not yet issued an official confirmation regarding the reported strike. (ANI)