Donald Trump issued a hardline demand to Iran, giving it 48 hours to fully restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz completely and without threats within 48 hours from this moment, the United States of America will strike and destroy their various power plants, starting with the largest one,” Trump wrote.
The corresponding post on Truth Social appeared at around 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
Iran’s closure of the strait came almost immediately after the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Up to a fifth of global seaborne oil exports—around 20 million barrels per day—passed through this route, along with significant volumes of liquefied natural gas. The disruption has already triggered a sharp rise in oil prices and forced the International Energy Agency to tap strategic reserves, releasing a record volume of roughly 400 million barrels onto the market. At the same time, the United States temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil already at sea, as well as on Iranian crude.