Clashes Between The U.S. And Iran Continue To Escalate. Trump Threatened To Climb Further

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will target a bridge or power plant every time Iran "shoots a ship in the Strait of Hormuz" as clashes between the countries continue to escalate.

"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," Trump said in a social media publication.

The U.S. has already been expanding its strikes against Iranian targets over the past days, targeting bridges and energy sites, as well as well as a tower located in a key Iranian port.

The strikes appeared to seek to cut off Iran's main port, Bandar Abbas, from roads leading to the central region of Iran, as well as Tehran.

Tehran acknowledged hits to "power infrastructure" for the first time last Friday, leading the country's Energy Ministry to call on people to use less power in the country's southern provinces.

A recent report detailed that other recent strikes against Iran were not only seeking to degrade its capabilities to block the Strait of Hormuz, but also pave the way for further escalation should Trump decide to.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the U.S. continues to be committed to pursuing diplomatic ways to end the war in Iran, but claimed Tehran is "not serious about talks."

Speaking during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting in the Philippines on Wednesday, Rubio claimed that if Iran "is serious, we're serious," and "if they're not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and also the interests of our allies."

He went on to say that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be a sticking point in talks and that Iran "demands the right" to control it. Allowing that to happen would set a "very dangerous precedent" for the world, Rubio said.

Iran has been threatening ships not passing through the route it has approved of, striking those seeking to do so closer to the Omani side. The U.S., in turn, has been providing assistance to some crossing despite the threats.

In the meantime, the U.S. Central Command said in a social media publication it conducted an 11th night of strikes against Iran, targeting "military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

CENTCOM added that, over the past three months, "Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway vital for regional and global trade. The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation."