Trump demands Iran reopen Hormuz in 48 hours and threatens strikes on its power plants

(SeaPRwire) –   President Donald Trump issued a threat to target Iran’s power plants if the country did not promptly reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, which has been disrupted for oil and gas shipments.

Trump stated on his social media platform Saturday evening that he would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants, starting with the largest one, if the strait was not reopened within 48 hours.

These remarks on Trump’s Truth Social platform represent a significant escalation in his rhetoric regarding the strait. This comes a day after he indicated he was considering “winding down” military operations and shifting the responsibility for policing Hormuz to nations that depend on its shipping routes.

Threats have nearly halted commodity shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial transit point for approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas. This resulting energy supply shock has caused crude prices to surge, with international benchmark Brent futures closing at $112.19 on Friday.

This declaration also occurs despite Trump’s call for a cessation of Israeli strikes on regional energy assets, which carry the risk of provoking retaliatory attacks by Iran on oil and gas infrastructure, further constricting global supplies.

The region’s energy assets have increasingly become a focal point as attacks expand. Israel struck the South Pars gas field last Wednesday, and Iran responded with strikes on the world’s largest LNG facility in Qatar.

More than 100 individuals were injured in Israel on Saturday due to multiple Iranian strikes in the country’s southern region, as Tehran aimed to retaliate for a prior attack on its nuclear facility.

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As the conflict, now in its fourth week, has led to a spike in energy prices, the US Treasury has taken the unusual step of permitting the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemical products that had already been loaded onto tankers, despite existing sanctions.

The price increases present political challenges for Trump domestically, with midterm elections just eight months away, which are expected to be heavily influenced by voters’ perceptions of the US economy and consumer expenses.

Although the US is producing record amounts of oil and gas domestically and is less dependent on Middle Eastern resources than countries like China and Japan, the supply disruption linked to the strait is contributing to higher global prices.

Trump’s conflicting messages have left governments and markets struggling to adapt to the evolving communications. On Friday, he posted: “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”

However, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Saturday that the joint campaign would be significantly intensified, a day after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK military base in Diego Garcia, located nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran.

The base sustained no damage, according to an anonymous source familiar with the situation, but the attack demonstrated a capability that exceeds Iran’s previously known arsenal.

Trump’s attempts to rally US allies to assist in reopening the strait for widespread commercial shipping have largely been unsuccessful. In response, Trump has criticized fellow NATO members, labeling them “cowards” for not participating in these efforts.

Previously, Trump had pledged US naval escorts and a government-backed reinsurance program to reduce the obstacles for ships transiting the strait amidst the conflict. However, there is no indication that any tanker has yet navigated the strait with US Navy assistance.

Israel and Iran also exchanged further missile strikes on Saturday.

Iran announced it had fired missiles at the Israeli city of Dimona, also the location of a nearby nuclear research facility, in what Iranian state television described as a response to an earlier attack on the country’s Natanz nuclear facility.

Israeli authorities reported that approximately 47 people were injured. A second strike hit southern Israel, causing significant damage to three residential buildings in Arad, and hospital officials reported over 60 wounded, with seven requiring hospitalization.