The United States has launched four consecutive attacks on Iran. Trump threatens to intensify the strikes on energy facilities

On Tuesday (July 14th), the United States launched its fourth consecutive day of attacks on Iran. President Trump warned that if Iran refuses to return to the negotiating table, the US military will expand its attack targets to key infrastructure such as power plants and bridges next week.

When interviewed by Fox News, Trump said that if Tehran still refused to return to the negotiating table, "the situation will become very bad next week" and the US would destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges.

Trump said that the US negotiators had spoken with Iranian officials on Tuesday, informing them that an agreement should be reached or else "you will cease to exist".

Trump said that the US military strike against Iran would continue "until I say enough". He claimed that Iran's power had been severely weakened, but it still had the ability to resist. Iran was like a "great boxer", "You thought you had defeated him, but suddenly he launched a counterattack and landed a powerful punch on you".

The US Central Command said that the latest round of strikes was aimed at "weakening Iran's ability to attack merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz". Currently, more than 20 US naval vessels and hundreds of military aircraft have been deployed in the Middle East. The US military "remains on alert and is ready to act at any time".

AFP reported that the United States resumed the maritime blockade of Iranian ports at 8 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Tuesday (4 a.m. Singapore time on Wednesday). The blockade prohibits ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports and the coastal waters.

However, Trump withdrew the plan he had announced the previous day to impose a 20% toll on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and instead reached trade agreements with allies in the Persian Gulf region.

The Iranian side stated that on Tuesday, the US military carried out air strikes on the Port of Bushehr, which houses Iran's sole civilian nuclear power plant, the area near the borders of Kuwait and Iraq, as well as Abadan, Mahshahr, Abbas Port, and the Gheysem Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Explosions were reported in multiple locations.

Meanwhile, regional tensions continued to escalate. On Wednesday (the 15th), Iran launched a drone attack on a Jordanian military base where US fighter jets were stationed. The Jordanian military previously claimed to have intercepted four missiles from Iran. Kuwait and Bahrain also separately stated that they had intercepted Iranian air strikes, and explosions were heard in their capitals.

The United Arab Emirates accused Iran on Tuesday of launching a missile attack on two ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the death of one crew member and injuries to eight others; an oil tanker was also hit by a missile in the waters near Oman.

India summoned the senior Iranian diplomat in New Delhi to express strong protest over the attack on two merchant ships and the death of an Indian crew member.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that if Iran were to launch another attack against Israel, the Israeli side would deliver a "decisive blow".