Iran has issued a fierce, on-camera warning to Washington as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and the wider war with the United States spiral. In a hard-hitting statement from Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei vowed “reciprocal” retaliation if Iran’s power plants, bridges or other critical infrastructure come under U.S. attack, warning that any site linked to American aggression could be targeted in return. Baghaei blasted President Donald Trump’s expletive-laden social media threats as “criminal” incitement to war crimes and even genocide, accusing the U.S. of trying to put Iran’s entire civilian population at risk. He also framed the conflict as a “war of choice” by the U.S. administration, not the American people, pointing to protests in U.S. cities and citing deadly strikes on an elementary school in Minab and a sports hall in Lamerd as evidence of what he called atrocities. As Trump’s April 7 “hell” deadline over Hormuz looms, Iran insists its defence capabilities remain intact and claims Washington has badly miscalculated Tehran’s resolve.