Trump Threatens to Bomb Iran’s Biggest Power Plant if Key Shipping Route Isn't Opened in 48 Hours

In a post on his Truth Social page, which was shared by the White House X account, President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Iran to willingly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and grant ships safe passage or face the obliteration of the power plants.

“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. Thank you for your attention to this matter - President Donald J Trump".

Trump's threat comes amidst Iran's ongoing blockade of the vital shipping line of the Strait of Hormuz through the Persian Gulf, which has disrupted the supply of oil products from the Middle East.

The ongoing closure has put immense pressure on the global crude oil prices, which have risen above $100 dollars. Since America and Israel began military actions against Iran earlier in the year, the Islamic Republic has responded by bombing energy infrastructures in Middle Eastern countries it considers to be American allies. Iran has bombed facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. These attacks have disrupted oil production in the Middle East, which accounts for nearly 30% of the global daily supply. These continuous attacks led to a recent meeting of Arab countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they demanded that Iran halt attacks in the region.

Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has generated global interest from multiple countries, who have called the action a breach of international maritime law, as it disrupts the free flow of goods and services.

Recently, a joint statement was issued by the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, Lithuania, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates on the Strait of Hormuz.

"We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces. 

We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," the statement reads.

As Trump's ultimatum winds down, the global community will continue to monitor the situation. Further military action that targets Iranian power infrastructure will expectably generate retaliation from Iran, which has so far displayed a readiness to continue targeting American allies in the Middle East while also shooting long-range missiles at Israel.

The Iranian military (Khatam Al-Anbiya Command) has already vowed that any strike on their power grid will result in the "obliteration" of U.S. and regional IT, water desalination, and energy infrastructure.