US President Donald Trump has threatened to blow up a power plant or bridge every time Iran hits a ship in the latest Middle East crisis escalation. It came as it emerged Pentagon war-planners are drafting a scheme for a partial ground invasion of Iran if the Tehran regime refuses to back down. The President has not green-lighted a ground assault on key Kharg Island but it is one of the options for escalation with which he has been presented.
Trump's threat and Pentagon plans
Mr Trump stormed: "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."
In recent weeks, the Republican leader has made repeated threats against civilian infrastructure as he became frustrated with Iran’s defiance.
Iran's retaliation threats
But Iran has hit back with warnings of their own escalation, claiming they could attack US bases and even kidnap US soldiers, whisking them back to Tehran. Tehran’s military even threatened that if America does occupy Kharg Island then Iran would go ahead and bomb its own territory.
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, now a member of parliament, said Iran should go further than striking US bases in the region and consider capturing American soldiers. He stormed: "The US threats have intensified, and it has said that it will seize Kharg Island and take control of Iran's oil facilities. I have been advocating for a ground war for a long time. We should seize one of the US bases in the region, capture its forces, and bring them back to our country."
An Iranian army spokesperson warned Iran would bomb its own territory rather than allow US forces to occupy it, as threats of a ground operation grow. Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia said on Iranian state television: "If America occupies our territory, we will even bomb our own territory. This is the logic of war."
Ground operation options
The remarks came as US Central Command marked the tenth consecutive day of strikes against Iranian targets. US President Donald Trump is expected to decide in the coming days how to proceed, with the prospect of a US ground operation or seizure of Iranian territory now openly discussed.
The Pentagon is preparing options for ground operations in Iran that would fall short of a full invasion but could involve thousands of troops and take weeks or months. The White House said the Pentagon was working to give the president "maximum optionality" but that "this does not mean the president has made a decision."
Regional escalation concerns
Iranian MP Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a former member of the parliamentary National Security Commission, said Tehran could launch ground attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain if the US invaded Iranian territory. On the prospect of a US assault on Kharg Island, he said Washington might take it for a day but could not hold it. He said: "Iranian missiles from Semnan, Zahedan, Isfahan and elsewhere can reach it. Occupying Kharg Island would turn it into a target for Iran."
It is possible Iran could make a bold move to take territory, including the taking of Bubiyan Island which is owned by Kuwait. The island, with an area of 700 square miles, is Kuwait's largest and sits at the northern end of the Persian Gulf close to Iraq. Some Iranian political figures and social media accounts have considered the scenario in response to a potential US seizure of Kharg, suggesting the IRGC could use regional proxies and its Saberin special forces unit to launch a ground operation through southern Iraq if Washington moved on Iranian territory.
The Saberin unit is an elite IRGC formation with extensive combat experience across Iran and neighbouring countries. Reports of Iranian military movements toward the Kuwaiti border have circulated online. Kuwait hosts US forces and has been among the most heavily targeted countries in the latest wave of Iranian strikes. Earlier reports in March and May alleged that IRGC commandos had targeted Bubiyan and engaged against Kuwaiti forces.
