WASHINGTON, July 23 — Tensions between the United States and Iran spilled deeper into global shipping lanes on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants if Tehran attacks vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian commanders vowing to block regional oil exports in response.
The latest exchange comes as shipping traffic through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea has fallen sharply, according to maritime tracking data cited by regional officials.
In a social-media post on Tuesday, Trump said any Iranian fire on ships in Hormuz — whether by missile, rocket, drone or other device — would be met with U.S. strikes on Iranian bridges or power plants, including facilities near or inside the capital, Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that any attack on Iranian infrastructure would draw a “strong and decisive” retaliation. Iran’s armed forces headquarters warned that if Washington follows through, “not a single drop of oil” would be allowed to leave the region, and oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure across the Gulf would become targets.
Hours later, Yemen’s Houthi movement said its forces had struck two Saudi tankers, the Encevia and the Layla, in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, claiming both vessels had violated a Houthi-imposed shipping ban. The group described the attack as part of its “blockade for blockade” response to Saudi restrictions on Yemen.
The incidents pushed international crude benchmarks sharply higher. Brent crude rose more than 3 percent to around $94 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed nearly 3 percent to roughly $86.80 — both the highest settlement levels in over a month, according to exchange data.
Analysts said the twin pressure points — Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass, and the Red Sea route used by Asia-Europe trade — raise the risk of sustained supply disruptions even if no full-scale conflict erupts.
“Markets are pricing in a higher probability of prolonged friction,” said one energy trader in Singapore. “The question is whether insurance premiums and rerouting costs remain elevated into the autumn.”
U.S. Central Command said American forces conducted fresh strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks stretching back nearly two weeks. Iran has retaliated with strikes on U.S. bases across the Middle East.
Diplomatic channels have not been entirely closed. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in what both sides called a “pragmatic and constructive” exchange, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed possible Russia-Ukraine talks with a U.S. presidential envoy.
But with Hormuz still effectively closed to normal traffic and both Washington and Tehran doubling down on public threats, shipping operators and energy importers are preparing for a volatile stretch ahead.