US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to “strike and destroy” Iran‘s power plants if the country fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
WASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to “strike and destroy” Iran’s power plants if the country fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
“If Iran does not FULLY, WITHOUT ANY THREAT, reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 HOURS from this very moment, the United States of America will strike and destroy its various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE LARGEST FIRST!”, he wrote in a message on Truth Social.
The Strait of Hormuz, a global energy corridor through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, has become a flashpoint in the war.
In response, the Iranian military’s main operational command, Khatam al-Anbiya, warned on Sunday that it would strike “all US and Israeli energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure” in the region if its own energy infrastructure was attacked, the Fars news agency reported.
Mr Trump’s ultimatum against Iran marked an escalation a day after he announced that Washington was considering “winding down” its military efforts in the region.
“We are moving very close to our goals as we consider scaling back our major military efforts in the Middle East” regarding Iran, he said Friday on social media. At the same time, Mr. Trump has refused to reach a ceasefire with Tehran.
His warning comes as the US-Israeli campaign against Iran entered its fourth week, disrupting global shipping and sending the price of oil soaring.
Crude prices have soared by around 50% since the United States and Israel launched their attacks on February 28, putting increasing pressure on Washington. The White House is concerned that soaring oil prices could hurt U.S. businesses and consumers ahead of the November midterm elections.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday issued a license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian offshore oil for 30 days to address supply shortages due to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated on Friday that Iran did not close the waterway, but imposed restrictions on ships belonging to countries involved in attacks on Iran.
Mr. Araghchi stressed that Iran is ready to ensure the safe passage of ships of other states through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Tehran.
