Trump says US will bomb bridges, power plants if Iran fires on ships; Oil prices rising

American President Donald Trump has said that US forces will target Iranian bridges and power plants should Iran fire on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. "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 president posted to Twitter. The threat from the president comes as the ongoing war with Iran has begun to heat up again after a relative lull in the conflict..The truce that was signed by the combatants in June was deemed null and void by the American administration in early June when Iran began attacking commercial shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz. In response to this, tensions have flared up yet again with both sides launching retaliatory strikes on one another..The specific mention of bridges and power plants, as well as the mention of targeting the Iranian capital of Tehran, would mark a change in policy from the Americans, who have, up until now, claimed they are primarily targeting military assets.Targeting of civilian infrastructure like bridges and power plants seems to be a deliberate threat to get Iran to the negotiating table, as if the US were able to decimate this kind of infrastructure, it could lead to mass civil unrest in Iran.This statement from the president may also have unintended consequences, as the Geneva Convention states that the targeting of power plants is a war crime.The Convention states that if a power plant is used primarily to power civilian infrastructure, it should be considered illegal to target.Despite this, it is likely that the Americans understand this fact, and the president is simply posturing in an attempt to get Iran to back down..As a result of these latest escalations, the price of oil has shot up, with the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) currently sitting around $87.This marks a drastic increase from earlier in the month when a barrel of WTI stood at around $69.This increase in oil prices will mean a more costly trip to the pump for drivers, and as was seen before in the earlier part of this conflict, the longer the war goes, the higher prices will rise.

Trump says US will bomb bridges, power plants if Iran fires on ships; Oil prices rising

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