Washington/New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has escalated tensions in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict by issuing a stark 48-hour deadline to Tehran, demanding the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping traffic.
In a post on Truth Social at 5:14 am IST, Trump warned that failure to “FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT” the strategic waterway—through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass—would prompt the United States to “hit and obliterate” Iran’s various power plants, beginning with the largest one.
The ultimatum, posted late Saturday, effectively gives Iran until Tuesday morning to comply, amid reports of the strait being largely closed to shipping from nations involved in strikes against Iran following joint US-Israeli operations on Tehran on February 28.
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The blockade has disrupted global energy flows, forcing reliant countries to seek alternative routes, draw on reserves, and contributing to surging crude oil prices that risk fueling broader inflation if prolonged.
In response to Trump’s threat, Iran’s military’s Khatam Al-Anbiya operational command issued a counter-warning, stating that any violation of Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure would lead to targeting of all US-owned energy, information technology, and desalination facilities in the region, as reported by news agency AFP.
The development marks a sharp reversal from Trump’s comments just a day earlier about “winding down” the war.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint, with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf previously indicating that full restoration to pre-war status could take months due to lingering threats like unexploded ordnance, potential minefields, and heightened security tensions.
Multiple nations, including the UK, France, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Australia, the UAE, and Bahrain, have condemned the effective closure by Iranian forces.
Separately, Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was struck in an airstrike on Saturday—the second such attack since the war began—with no radiation leakage reported, according to Iran’s official news agency Mizan. Satellite imagery had earlier shown damage from an initial strike in the war’s opening week.
In a retaliatory action, Iran launched missiles targeting Israeli towns of Dimona (home to a nuclear facility) and Arad, injuring over 100 people. The Israeli army confirmed a “direct missile hit on a building” in Dimona, per AFP.
The exchange underscores the volatile state of the conflict, with global attention focused on whether diplomatic channels can avert further escalation following Trump’s high-stakes demand.
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