U.S. President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum on Saturday to reopen the Hormuz Strait or threatened to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure.
"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," he wrote on Truth Social.
In response, the Iranian military said if its own fuel and energy facilities were hit, it would target U.S.-linked energy infrastructure across the region, according to the Fars news agency.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes for oil exports, has virtually ground to a halt due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Trump's warning came as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel and the U.S. would "significantly escalate" their attacks on Iran in the coming days.
Iran's leadership would be targeted in the strikes, Katz said after consultations with senior military officials at army headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to his office.
Meanwhile, Seyed Ali Mousavi, Iran's Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization, said in remarks carried by two Iranian news agencies that navigating the strait would be possible for "everyone except enemies" – indicating Tehran would determine which vessels are allowed passage.
Iran has already approved the passage of ships through the waterway to China and elsewhere in Asia.
