Iran has warned of “much more devastating” retaliation after Donald Trump’s latest threats.

Over the weekend, the US President issued an expletive-laden threat against Iran, saying America would escalate strikes on its infrastructure if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his deadline, which is 1am UK time on Tuesday.

In a social media post, Mr Trump promised strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges. He vowed the “crazy bastards” would be “living in Hell” if the strait, a crucial waterway for global trade, isn’t opened to marine traffic by Tuesday. He ended with “Praise be to Allah.”

Mr Trump has issued such deadlines before but extended them when mediators have claimed progress toward ending the war, which has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices in just over five weeks.

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A defiant Iran showed no sign of backing down, striking economic and infrastructure targets in neighbouring Gulf Arab countries and challenging the US’s account of the rescue. And Iran’s joint military command warned of stepped-up attacks on regional oil and civilian infrastructure if the US and Israel attack such targets there, according to state television.

“If attacks on civilian targets are repeated, the next stages of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and widespread,” said a statement from a spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters – Iran’s highest operational military command unit. The statement was published by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the BBC reports.

Iranian culture minister Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri also told visiting Associated Press journalists: “It seems Trump has become a phenomenon that neither Iranians nor Americans are able to fully analyse.”

He said that the president “constantly shifts between contradictory positions”.

It comes after American forces rescued an aviator whose Iran-downed plane had fallen behind enemy lines. The rescue of the US airman followed an intense search after Friday’s crash of the F-15E Strike Eagle, while Iran had promised a reward for anyone who turned in an “enemy pilot”.

Mr Trump said that the service member was “seriously wounded and really brave” and rescued from “deep inside the mountains” of Iran.

The president said a second crew member was rescued in “broad daylight” within hours of the crash. The fighter jet was the first known American aircraft to crash in Iranian territory since the US and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran also shot down another US military plane, demonstrating both the perils of the bombing campaign and the ability of Iran’s degraded military to hit back.

The other plane was a US A-10 attack aircraft. Neither the status of the crew nor where it crashed is known.

On Sunday, Iran’s state television aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of a US aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, along with a photo of thick, black smoke rising.

The broadcaster said that Iran had shot down a transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation.

However, a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission told The Associated Press that the US military blew up two transport planes because of a technical malfunction and brought in additional aircraft to complete the rescue.

Iran’s military joint command on Sunday said that four US aircraft were destroyed during the operation and warned of stepping up retaliatory attacks on regional oil and civilian infrastructure if the US and Israel attack such targets in the Islamic Republic, according to state television.

A spokesman said in comments published by the IRNA news agency: “We once again repeat: if you commit aggression again and strike civilian facilities, our responses will be more forceful.”