President Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face US strikes on power plants, escalating the 2026 war as shipping halts and oil prices soar.
Trump’s 48-Hour Ultimatum: Strikes Threatened if Hormuz Stays Closed:
President Donald Trump has given Iran 48 hours to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or the United States will strike and “obliterate” its major power plants, starting with the country’s largest facility. The ultimatum, posted on Truth Social early Saturday, comes as Iranian actions have effectively paralysed commercial shipping through the vital chokepoint, pushing oil prices toward record territory and threatening blackouts across the Middle East and beyond.
The threat marks the sharpest escalation yet in the three-week-old conflict and follows Britain’s decision to allow US strikes from its bases aimed at securing the same waterway.
From Refinery Strikes to Civilian Power Targets:
The warning builds directly on recent developments. Iranian forces have struck Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery twice in 48 hours, while missile barrages have forced shipping insurers to pull coverage and major tanker operators to reroute around Africa. Commercial traffic through the strait, which handles one-fifth of global oil, has dropped to near zero.
This paralysis follows Israel’s 19 March bombing of Iran’s South Pars gas field and the US-Israeli pre-emptive campaign that began on 28 February with the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Trump has repeatedly rejected ceasefire calls, insisting Iran must be further weakened.
The new threat shifts focus from military sites to civilian energy infrastructure, raising the stakes dramatically. US officials have not detailed specific targets beyond Trump’s reference to the “biggest one,” but analysts point to facilities such as the Bushehr nuclear plant complex or the Shahid Rajaee power station near Bandar Abbas.
Hormuz History, Sanctions Shift, and Iran’s Internal Defiance:
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint for decades. Iran threatened closure during the 1980s Tanker War and again in 2019 after US sanctions. In the current 2026 war, rhetoric has become reality: Iranian speedboats and drones have targeted tankers, while refinery strikes in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have compounded the crisis.
Trump’s administration had eased some Iranian oil sanctions to avoid total market collapse but now demands unrestricted passage. The UK’s Friday decision to open bases including RAF Akrotiri and Diego Garcia for US operations provides the logistical backbone for any new strikes.
Inside Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei’s Nowruz message vowed defiance, claiming the Islamic Republic had already delivered a “dizzying blow” to its enemies. The new leader faces immense domestic pressure amid power shortages and civilian hardship.