Trump says he's holding off on striking Iran's bridges and power plants

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States could destroy Iran's bridges and power plants right now but is holding off, counting on land and sea blockades to push Iran to be "reasonable."

"Now, I could go in and blow them up right now. The problem with that is you'll never be able to rebuild it," Trump told reporters as he left Palm Beach, Florida, according to a transcript of the exchange.

Iran's big bridges would take "10, 12, 15 years to rebuild," he said, and power plants would be the second hardest. "That puts an awfully big burden on the people. I don't like that."

Alaska North Slope crude hit $130.99 a barrel on Oct. 30, its highest price since 2008, and fell to $113.58 by Nov. 5, according to the state Department of Revenue's daily prices. The drop came during talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The state collects taxes and royalties on that oil. It built this year's budget on $75 oil, expecting oil to bring in $1.88 billion of the $6.73 billion lawmakers can spend freely. Each $1 change in the year's average price shifts that by about $35 million.

Heating fuel averaged $7.97 a gallon this summer in the communities a state survey tracks, up nearly 23% from last winter. Diesel averaged $6.50 statewide in late October.

Trump said last month that oil prices would "drop like a rock" once the war ends, listing "Alaska oil" among the supply he expects to bring them down.

Trump said the United States is "trying to end the war in Iran" by cutting it off. He said Operation Iron Gate, a land blockade, "just went into effect." "That means nothing comes in by land. And as you know, the naval blockade. Nothing comes in by water."

U.S. Central Command announced a Task Force Iron Gate on Saturday. Maritime Executive, a shipping trade publication, described it as a small staff aimed at weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned goods and illegal revenue moving into Iran by road, rail and across the Caspian Sea.

Trump also said Iran isn't paying its soldiers and has "301% inflation." Iran's statistics agency put inflation at about 88% in July, near the country's record but less than a third of Trump's figure. Central Command said in October that Iran's Revolutionary Guard was unable to pay its troops. That couldn't be independently verified.

Trump said the United States had "knocked out their nuclear capacity," citing strikes by B-2 bombers, and that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said in September it "cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts" of Iran's enriched uranium. Its last estimate, from June 2025, included 440.9 kilograms enriched up to 60%.

A reporter asked Sunday about a Central Command reward for information about Iran moving its nuclear materials. "If they are, we want to know about it," Trump said, adding, "we have not seen it."

Asked Friday about reported strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, Trump said he didn't want to talk about it. "We do minor strikes," he said, adding that U.S. forces had knocked out "a little bit of an anti-aircraft device," according to a transcript. He also said the United States is "dealing with" Iran and that "they want to make a deal very badly."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Nov. 3, after reported U.S. strikes, that "no one will benefit from this war" if it reignites.

In July, when he declared a ceasefire over, Trump said the United States could target Kharg Island and Iran's electricity and water plants.