Trump threatens to destroy Iranian facilities, Iran vows reciprocal strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to destroy Iran's bridges and power plants if Iran attacks any ship in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran vowed reciprocal strikes.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that from this point forward, any time 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 Tehran.

Iran responded with its own warnings.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a Wednesday post on social media platform X, "Our defense doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response."

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf echoed the stance on X: "This war's equation is clear: either everybody or no one."

Qalibaf said that in a region where Iran cannot sell oil, nobody will sell oil.

"If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe, and the security of the Strait of Hormuz lies in the absence of U.S. forces," he warned.

The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday, citing a military source, that Tehran would carry out reciprocal strikes on infrastructure and bridges in the region, including energy facilities in which the United States holds interests.

On the same day, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that if the United States attacks Iranian infrastructure, Iran will block all oil exports from West Asia and target oil, gas, electricity, and economic infrastructure across the region, according to media reports.

The command stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and passage by vessels will be authorized only through the routes designated by Iran and in accordance with the country's announced arrangements.

It added that continued threats by the United States will only lead to the war's expansion in the region and even beyond that.

Trump threatens to destroy Iranian facilities, Iran vows reciprocal strikes

China's general public budget revenue and expenditure both increased steadily in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

The country's general public budget revenue -- the sum of tax revenue and non-tax revenue -- rose 4.7 percent year on year to about 12.1 trillion yuan (about 1.78 trillion U.S. dollars).

In the January-June period, the country's tax revenue totaled 9.79 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.3 percent year on year. The growth rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than that recorded in the first three months of the year, according to the ministry.

Specifically, revenue from domestic value-added tax in the period increased 6 percent, while that from import-linked value-added tax and domestic consumption tax rose 11.8 percent. Stamp duty on stock transactions surged by 97.3 percent.

"The main reason is that China's economy is resilient and dynamic, sustaining a generally steady and positive development trend in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, factors such as rising prices, a buoyant stock market, and strong foreign trade growth also strongly supported the growth of fiscal revenue," said Ma Hongbing, deputy director of the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, at a press conference.

On the spending side, the country's general public budget expenditure climbed 1.5 percent year on year to 14.33 trillion yuan during the first six months of the year.

Social security and employment spending rose 7.6 percent year on year to 2.64 trillion yuan, while health expenditure jumped 10.8 percent to 1.22 trillion yuan.

China will implement a more proactive fiscal policy in 2026, with the deficit-to-GDP ratio set at around 4 percent, according to this year's government work report. Expenditure in the general public budget is projected to reach 30 trillion yuan for the first time, an increase of roughly 1.27 trillion yuan compared with 2025.

China's general public budget revenue, expenditure both see increase in H1