ISTANBUL, March 22 — US President Donald Trump threatened Saturday to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, starting with the largest, if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
“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 on his social media platform Truth Social, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
He posted the threat at 7.44 pm US Eastern Time, meaning he provided a deadline until late Monday.
He did not specify which plant he was referring to as the largest.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran would show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure came under attack.
Trump previously told PBS he deliberately avoided targeting power plants in Tehran because it would cause years of damage and “trauma” to the civilian population. The threat marks a significant escalation in his rhetoric.
In response to Trump’s ultimatum, Iran on Sunday threatened to strike all US and Israeli infrastructure across the region if its facilities came under attack, according to Anadolu.
“If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the United States and the (Israeli) regime in the region will be targeted,” a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the body overseeing Iranian military operations, said in a statement reported by Fars News Agency.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively disrupted since early March, pushing oil prices higher. Around 20 million barrels of oil pass through the waterway daily, making it one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
The US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb 28 and have escalated into a broader regional conflict.
