US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to launch strikes on Iranian power plants if Tehran doesn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the primary route through which oil reaches global markets.ย Trump is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the Strait as oil prices soar.
‘If Iran doesn’t…’: Trumpย
In a social media post, Trump said the US will “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants, beginning with the largest facility, if the key route is not “fully open, without threat” 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 said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a 55-kilometre-wide narrows between Iran and Oman, separating the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Sea. It is a particularly important piece of global real estate in terms of the energy sector and one of the busiest and most strategically significant shipping routes in the world.
The closure has disrupted oil and gas shipments from the region and rattled markets around the world.
A dangerous new direction in the war
The warning comes as the conflict enters a more dangerous phase as it moves into its fourth week.
According to Israeli officials, Iranian forces have, for the first time since the war began, deployed long-range missiles, raising fears that the conflict could extend beyond the Middle East. An Iranian strike also reportedly left dozens injured near a sensitive nuclear facility in Israel.
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said Iran launched two ballistic missiles with a range of up to 4,000 km targeting the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Israeli military described this as the first known use of such long-range capabilities by Iran since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28. “These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals – Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Zamir said in a statement.
The US and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programmes and its support for armed proxies. There have been no signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.
The war’s effects are felt far beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel prices.
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