President Donald Trump responds to a question from the media as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to obliterate Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t re-open the Strait of Hormuz and allow oil tankers through.
“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!” Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday night.
CNN quoted Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying that if Trump carries out this plan, Iran will retaliate by attacking infrastructure and energy facilities throughout the Middle East, driving up the prices for oil even further than they have been for the past three weeks.
The New York Times said about 175 people were injured Sunday morning in Iranian missile attacks on Arad and Dimona, residential neighborhoods in southern Israel.
The locations are near Israel’s biggest nuclear research and reactor center.
Last week, Trump asked members of NATO, whose countries depend on the oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz, to help re-open and police the essential trade route between Iran and Oman.
Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan responded with a statement of support that said, “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”
Iran closed the waterway Feb. 28 after the United States and Israel tried to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and long-range missile manufacturing facilities.
Scenes from the conflict in Iran
An Iranian flag stands amid the destruction in Enghelab Square following the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Tehran, Iran, on March 4, 2026. Photo by Nahal Farzaneh/UPI | License Photo
