As aggressions continue, Trump warns Iran to ‘pay a big price’

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

President Donald Trump is threatening that Iran will “pay a big price” as he headed to Dover Air Force Base Wednesday for the dignified transfer of four fallen soldiers.

The president issued a sharp warning to the Islamic Republic following the 11th consecutive night of strikes, which are hitting deeper into Iran.

“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 wrote on Truth Social.

The president told reporters Tuesday during a bilateral in the Oval Office with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that the U.S. plans to bomb the Islamic Republic’s Pickaxe Mountain, adding, “tell the Iranians to be ready.”

It is believed that Iran has moved much of its nuclear material into the country’s deepest and most protected nuclear facility, located approximately 140 miles from Iran’s capital, Tehran, and less than two km from the Natanz nuclear facility, which was struck during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.

The president’s warnings come as the death toll of American warriors in the conflict with Iran reaches 18, with four happening over the weekend after Iranian missiles and drones targeted U.S. bases in Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran shows no indication it is slowing its offensive on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz or U.S. interests in the region.

U.S. Central Command has confirmed that Iran has “attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway vital for regional and global trade.”

Despite Iran’s attacks, CENTCOM argues that the strait “remains open,” with the U.S. military helping approximately 900 commercial ships transit the vital waterway.

While the U.S. continues to target Iranian military sites, the president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear to continue to leave the door open to diplomacy with Iran, despite being pessimistic the regime will come to the table.

“We remain open to diplomacy. We remain open to working it out in a negotiated way, but right now, they don’t seem to be serious about that,” Rubio told reporters.

In addition to military strikes, the U.S. continues to put the squeeze on Iran by targeting its economy. Last week, the U.S. reinstated a full naval blockade on Iranian ports, which the Trump administration estimates is costing the Islamic Republic between $400 million and $500 million a day in economic losses.

The Trump administration has requested $87.6 billion from Congress to cover the costs of the conflict, including more than $70 billion for military expenses, according to a White House supplemental appropriations request.