Trump Weighs Expanding Iran Strikes Beyond Hormuz, Threatens to Destroy Power Plants Next Week

President Donald Trump discussed expanding the renewed US air campaign against Iran beyond the country's southern region near the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported.

Trump convened top national security advisers in the Situation Room on July 14, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, the outlet said.

One source told Axios the meeting centered on a new plan for sweeping strikes on strategic targets in addition to attacks on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. The White House did not confirm the report.

Before the meeting, Trump told Fox News the air campaign would expand within days. If Iran does not come to the negotiating table, he said, "we will destroy all of their power plants and bridges next week." The US military has bombed Iran for four consecutive days, mostly targeting military facilities in the country's south and southwest near the Strait of Hormuz, including air defense networks, radar systems, anti-ship missile bases and drone launch sites.

Strikes carried out on the afternoon and night of July 14, Eastern Time, also remained concentrated in southern Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm Island, Bushehr and Abadan.

Axios also highlighted Trump's focus on so-called Pickax Mountain, or Kuh-e Kolang, near Natanz, where Iran's nuclear facilities are located. The US suspects a fortified nuclear site lies beneath the mountain.

Referring to the destructive power of bunker-buster bombs, Trump said the US is watching the mountain. There is almost no activity there now, he said, but if even slight movement is detected, the site will be struck with overwhelming force.

Park Su-bin, Hankyung.com reporter waterbean@hankyung.com