US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued Iran a 48 hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure, as Tehran launched its most destructive attack yet on Israel.
The ultimatum comes only one day after the US president had hinted that he was thinking of “winding down” military operations following three weeks of fighting, as thousands more US Marines were en route to the Middle East and the crucial oil passage remained essentially closed.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the US would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants — “starting with the biggest one first” — if Tehran did not fully reopen the strait within 48 hours, or 23:44 GMT on Monday
Tehran, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has only placed restrictions on ships from nations that have attacked Iran and will support those who have stayed out of the crisis.
In response to Trump’s threat, Iran’s army said it will target energy, desalination infrastructure “belonging to the US and the regime in the region,” according to the Fars news agency.
Trump’s ultimatum on the Strait of Hormuz came hours after two Iranian missiles hit southern Israel, injuring more than 100 people in the most destructive attack since the war began. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate “on all fronts.”
The strikes, which managed to slip through Israel’s missile defence systems, tore open the facades of residential buildings and carved craters into the ground.
In response, Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Iran after what he called a “very difficult evening”, and hours later, the Israeli military said its forces launched a wave of strikes on Tehran.
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