With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and regional tensions spiking after a major attack by Iran on Israel, President Donald Trump has handed Tehran a two-day deadline to reopen the waterway. According to him, failure to do this will invite a sweeping American military response. The warning sets up a potential escalation just as thousands of additional U.S. Marines head to the region.
Donald Trump sends a warning to Iran
The president gave the ultimatum to Iran on social media over the weekend, giving the country 48 hours to restore full shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In his Truth Social post, Donald Trump said the U.S. would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not comply. Adding that American forces would begin “with the biggest one first.” The deadline is set for late Monday, according to the timestamp of his message.
His stance came only a day after he mentioned the possibility of scaling back military operations following three weeks of hostilities. It also arrived hours after two Iranian missiles struck southern Israel, wounding more than 100 civilians in what observers called the heaviest assault of the ongoing war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by pledging to hit back “on all fronts.” Israeli forces launched their own strikes against targets in Tehran shortly afterward, continuing a pattern of tit-for-tat exchanges that have defined much of the past month.
Tehran responded to Trump’s warning. Iran’s foreign minister stated that his country had only blocked vessels from nations participating in military actions against Iran, claiming other ships would still receive assistance. Meanwhile, Iran’s army issued its own threat through state media, vowing to strike energy and desalination facilities tied to the U.S. and its regional allies if American forces followed through on Trump’s warning.
The standoff has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage that normally handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil. With tankers unable to move freely through the channel, Brent crude prices have climbed past $105 per barrel, raising alarms among major economies about potential shocks to global energy markets (via The Guardian).
