Trump’s 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran: Open Hormuz Strait or Face Consequences
With the clock ticking on his self-imposed deadline, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Saturday, saying “hell will rain down on them” if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will rain down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The warning comes after Trump had already extended his original deadline by 10 days to April 6, citing optimism over ongoing talks with Iran. He had previously threatened to strike Iranian energy infrastructure including power plants and oil wells if the strait remained blocked, while simultaneously ordering a pause on such strikes until the extended deadline.
A War With Shifting Goalposts
When Trump launched Operation Epic Fury alongside Israel on February 28, his administration outlined sweeping objectives: dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, cripple its navy, and eliminate any pathway to a nuclear weapon. More than a month into the conflict, those goals have shifted repeatedly.
Trump has oscillated on troop deployment, at times suggesting ground forces could be sent in and at other times ruling it out entirely even as the US military buildup in the Middle East has placed 50,000 troops in the region.
His public messaging has been similarly inconsistent. In just the fifth week of the war, Trump declared the conflict had “nothing to do with oil,” only to later suggest the US should “take the oil and make a fortune.” He has alternated between declaring the war nearly over and warning of weeks of intensified strikes on infrastructure. On the Strait of Hormuz itself, his position shifted from suggesting other nations could reopen it once the US withdrew, to asserting that Washington could “easily” handle it on its own.
Iran Holds Its Ground
Iran has rejected Trump’s proposals outright, dismissing them as “unrealistic, illogical and excessive.” Tehran has consistently characterised the US’s reported 15-point de-escalation plan as amounting to complete capitulation, calling it “one-sided,” “unfair,” and “excessive.”
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi pushed back against speculation of a diplomatic impasse, clarifying that Tehran has not refused to attend peace talks in Islamabad. However, he made clear that any negotiations must lead to a definitive and lasting resolution.
“We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad,” Araghchi wrote on social media. “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he added.
Pakistan Mediates, Progress Stalls
Pakistan stepped in as a mediator after the conflict expanded across the Gulf region. According to an unnamed official cited by Dawn newspaper, some progress had been made through exchanges of messages between the two sides, but momentum has slowed due to the absence of a clear signal from Iran.
The official expressed surprise that despite significant damage to Iran’s naval, air force, and broader military and civilian infrastructure, Tehran had not responded positively to calls for negotiations. Pakistan and China have both reportedly urged Iran to engage in dialogue, though Tehran has yet to formally confirm its readiness to do so.
Pakistani leaders remain in active contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi, the report added.
With Trump’s deadline now hours away and diplomatic channels yet to produce a breakthrough, the situation in the Gulf remains on a knife’s edge.