Trump issues 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over Hormuz blockade, threatens strikes on power plants
Washington— U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict and raising concerns over global energy supplies.
In a social media post, Trump said the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power infrastructure if the strait was not “fully open, without threat” within the deadline, broadening the potential scope of U.S. military action to include civilian-linked facilities.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime corridor through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Ongoing threats and disruptions have deterred shipping traffic, with the near-blockade triggering a surge in European gas prices of up to 35% last week.Energy markets have remained volatile as the risk to Gulf infrastructure intensifies.
The situation worsened after Iran responded to an Israeli strike on one of its major gas fields by targeting Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a key hub processing a significant share of the world’s liquefied natural gas. Damage from the strike is expected to take years to repair, according to reports.
Iran warns of broader retaliationIran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters said on Sunday that any U.S. attack on its fuel and energy infrastructure would prompt retaliatory strikes on American energy, information technology and desalination assets across the region.
The exchange of threats underscores a widening confrontation that increasingly targets economic and civilian-linked infrastructure, raising the stakes for regional stability and global supply chains.Israeli officials said Iran had fired long-range missiles for the first time since hostilities intensified on February 28, expanding the potential reach of the conflict.
According to Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, Iran launched two ballistic missiles with a range of about 4,000 km at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.Zamir said the missiles’ range extended beyond the Middle East, placing European capitals within potential reach.
A source at Britain’s defense ministry said the attack occurred before London granted specific authorization on Friday for the United States to use British bases for strikes on Iranian missile sites.
The developments mark a significant expansion in both the geographic scope and strategic targets of the conflict, with direct implications for international energy flows and military alignments.
