U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to attack and destroy Iran's power plants, starting with the largest, if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. This threat follows recent U.S. military action against an Iranian arsenal and coincides with new Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel.
Key points
- The ultimatum demands Iran open the Strait of Hormuz 'fully, without threat' within 48 hours.
- The threat came after U.S. forces announced they had weakened Iran's ability to threaten navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona, injuring dozens, including children.
- The Israeli military chief, Eyal Zamir, stated Iran fired long-range ballistic missiles at the U.S.-UK military base Diego Garcia for the first time since the conflict began on February 28.
- The Strait of Hormuz is critical, handling 20% of global crude oil exports.
Why it matters
This represents a dramatic escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, involving a direct threat to Iranian infrastructure and occurring amidst ongoing military conflict and Iranian attacks on Israel.