President Donald Trump has given Iran two days to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face more strikes, this time targeting their 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,” he posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s warning is the latest in the fight over the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the start of the war, halting global shipping and roiling the oil trade.
The standoff has included Trump working to reopen it himself, vowing Navy escorts for ships and trying to attract other countries to form a coalition for security and defense of the key waterway.
That effort has so far only led to tepid responses from allies, some of whom are against the war entirely.
Trump also seemed to abandon the coalition effort himself, saying on Friday night that it would be up to unspecified “other Nations who use it” to secure the strait. The U.S. would instead only help “if asked.”
Nonetheless, the president’s threat on Saturday evening ultimately signals he is ready to apply intense military pressure on Tehran instead.
In terms of what Trump could target should Tehran refuse to bend, the largest power plant in Iran by capacity is the Damavand Combined Cycle Power Plant, located just outside Tehran. Other notable facilities include the Shahid Salimi Combined Cycle Power Plant, located along the Caspian Sea, and the Shahid Rajaee Thermal Power Plant, near the city of Qazvin.
If such an attack does occur, it would be a significant escalation. So far, Trump has avoided striking Iran’s energy infrastructure while simultaneously leaving that option open.
G7 ‘READY’ TO PROTECT ENERGY SUPPLY AMID IRAN’S HORMUZ CHOKEHOLD
In the strikes on Kharg Island last week, he left the oil infrastructure untouched but said he would “reconsider” that decision if Iran did “anything to interfere” with ships transiting Hormuz.
More recently, after Israel struck the South Pars gas field, Trump signaled there would be no further strikes unless Iran continued to retaliate against Gulf energy infrastructure. In that case, the United States would “blow up the entirety” of the field, he warned.
