U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a high-stakes 48-hour ultimatum to Tehran, threatening to destroy Iran’s power infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately and fully reopened to international shipping.
The dramatic escalation comes as the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its fourth week. The conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, has severely disrupted global energy markets, with oil prices soaring as the strategic waterway—responsible for 20% of the world’s oil and gas—remains effectively blocked by Iranian forces.
Writing from his Mar-a-Lago residence on Truth Social at 23:44 GMT on Saturday, the President warned of devastating strikes on civilian infrastructure.
“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 posted.
While the President did not specify a target, the threat to target civilian energy grids has drawn sharp criticism from international observers and domestic lawmakers, some of whom warned that striking non-military power plants could constitute a war crime.
Tehran responded to the ultimatum with its own severe warning. The Iranian Unified Combatant Command stated that any strike on its domestic fuel or energy infrastructure would trigger a broad retaliatory campaign against U.S. interests.
According to Iranian state media, the military command warned that if their facilities are targeted, “All energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the U.S. in the region will be targeted.”
This tit-for-tat rhetoric has rattled global stock markets, which have seen significant plunges since the blockade began.
Trump’s latest threat marks a sharp pivot from his comments just 24 hours earlier. On Friday, the President had suggested a “winding down” of military efforts, claiming that the U.S. was “very close to meeting our objectives.”
However, the continued closure of the Strait has placed immense pressure on the administration. While U.S. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper reported that Iran’s ability to project power has been “degraded” following the destruction of coastal missile facilities earlier this week, the waterway remains impassable for most commercial tankers.|
