Trump Threatens Iran Power Plants Over Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, threatening to launch strikes against its power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not “FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT” within 48 hours, according to a post on his Truth Social account. The threat came less than a day after Trump suggested the ongoing conflict with Iran was “winding down.”
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump wrote in the post, which was reported by multiple news outlets.
The ultimatum follows a nearly month-long escalation of hostilities that began with a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. In response, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway responsible for approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply, sending global fuel prices soaring. Brent crude oil was trading above $100 per barrel on Friday, a significant increase from around $70 a month prior.
Tehran has indicated it intends to leverage the increased oil prices as a point of pressure against the U.S. And Israel. Trump, however, has taken an increasingly aggressive stance, claiming in a separate Truth Social post that the U.S. Has “blown Iran off the map” and that the conflict is progressing “weeks ahead of schedule.” He criticized reporting from The New York Times that suggested otherwise.
The Iranian army responded to Trump’s threat by stating it would target all U.S. Energy infrastructure in the region if Iran’s own fuel and energy infrastructure were attacked. This reciprocal threat further escalates the risk of a wider regional conflict.
The situation is complicated by the fact that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has “virtually ground to a halt” since the start of the conflict. Damage to energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, attributed to missile and drone strikes, has also contributed to rising oil prices.
Trump’s shifting rhetoric – from suggesting a potential drawdown of forces to issuing an explicit ultimatum – has reportedly left U.S. Allies uncertain about the administration’s objectives. Simultaneously, U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft continue to deploy to the region, signaling a continued military commitment despite the President’s earlier statements.
French President Emmanuel Macron has offered to aid secure the Strait of Hormuz, but only as part of a mission separate from the current U.S.-led war effort, highlighting a lack of unified international support for the U.S. Approach. As of Saturday evening, the U.S. Government had not specified which Iranian power plant Trump was referring to as “the biggest.”