US President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his rhetoric against Iran, warning that American forces “haven’t even started” destroying what remains of the country’s infrastructure, as tensions spiral across the Middle East.
His comments come as Iran’s military warned it would “destroy” US assets across the region if Washington and Israel expand their strikes, signalling a dangerous phase in a conflict that is already spreading beyond its initial fronts, reports Al Jazeera.
The latest exchange of threats follows a series of escalating military actions.
A US strike recently destroyed a major bridge linking the city of Karaj to Tehran, in an attack local officials said killed at least eight people, reports BBC.
Iran has since launched fresh missile attacks on Israel, damaging homes and vehicles, while regional tensions have widened further.
In Kuwait, authorities said a water desalination plant and an oil refinery had been targeted. Iran denied responsibility for the desalination facility, instead blaming Israel, an allegation the Israeli military said it was “not aware” of.
The conflicting claims underline the confusion surrounding incidents in a rapidly evolving battlefield.
Reports of a downed US fighter jet have added another layer of uncertainty.
Iranian media said a US aircraft had been shot down over southern Iran, prompting a search and rescue operation.
A US official confirmed to Reuters that a fighter jet had gone down and that efforts were under way to locate any survivors, though no further details were provided. It would be the first known such incident since the US launched its campaign against Iran on 28 February.
It remains unclear how many crew members were on board.
Escalating rhetoric and regional stakes
Trump has also turned his focus to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said the United States could “easily” reopen the strait “with a little more time”.
“With a little more time, we can easily open the Hormuz Strait, take the oil, and make a fortune. It would be a ‘gusher’ for the world,” he wrote.
The remarks have raised concerns about potential military intervention in the waterway, long seen as one of the most sensitive chokepoints in global energy markets.
A United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution concerning the strait has now been postponed until Saturday, according to a UN spokesperson.
The vote had been scheduled earlier in the week but was delayed following discussions among council members.
Israel has meanwhile continued its campaign against Iranian infrastructure.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli strikes had destroyed around 70 per cent of Iran’s steel production capacity, describing the attacks as a “tremendous achievement”.
“In full co-ordination between me and President Trump, between the Israel Defense Forces and the United States military, we will continue to crush Iran,” he said in a video address.
Iran has confirmed the death of Behnam Rezaei, head of naval intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who Israel said it had targeted in a strike on 26 March.
The conflict’s human toll continues to rise.
At least 2,076 people have been killed and 26,500 injured in US-Israeli attacks across Iran since late February, according to available figures.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have pushed the death toll beyond 1,000.
The violence has also affected international peacekeeping operations, according to BBC.
Three United Nations peacekeepers were injured in an explosion inside a UN position near El Adeisse in southern Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said.
Two of them were seriously wounded and have been evacuated to hospital.
UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said the origin of the blast remains unknown.
The incident follows the deaths of three peacekeepers earlier in the week in separate explosions of unidentified origin, raising concerns over the safety of international personnel in the conflict zone.
Political reactions and global fallout
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly condemned Trump’s rhetoric, accusing the US leader of openly signalling war crimes.
Responding to Trump’s earlier warning that Iran could be sent “back to the Stone Age”, Pezeshkian said the remarks amounted to an admission of intent to commit a “massive war crime.”
“This was the question I asked my Finnish counterpart, who is a jurist,” he said, referring to President Alexander Stubb.
“History is full of those who paid a heavy price for their silence in the face of criminals,” he added.
The comments reflect growing anger within Iran’s leadership, although there are also signs of internal debate over how to proceed.
Former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has called for Tehran to declare victory and seek an end to the conflict.
He outlined what he described as a potential blueprint for negotiations with Washington, aimed at securing terms acceptable to Iran.
It is unclear whether his proposal has support within the current administration.
In Washington, developments within the military leadership have also drawn attention.
US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George has left his post after reportedly being asked to step down by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
No official explanation has been given, but the move comes at a critical moment in the conflict.
Beyond the immediate military and political developments, the war is beginning to have wider global consequences.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said its Food Price Index rose by 2.4 per cent between February and March, marking the second consecutive monthly increase.
The agency attributed the rise largely to higher energy costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East, highlighting the knock-on effects on global supply chains.
The combination of rising food prices, uncertainty over oil flows and ongoing military escalation has heightened fears of a broader economic impact.
