Amid escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran, U.S. Admiral Brad Smith reported that Iranian strikes on seven commercial vessels had left roughly a dozen civilian crew members dead, missing, or wounded. The statement came as President Donald Trump threatened in a Fox News interview to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants unless Tehran returns to negotiations, following days of mutual attacks around the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. recently resumed a naval blockade of Iranian ports and reversed a planned 20% shipping fee, while Iran confirmed targeting two United Arab Emirates tankers. The confrontation has stalled tanker traffic and driven up oil prices, underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway.