On Saturday, President Donald Trump issued a stern ultimatum to Iran, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic within 48 hours. Should Iran fail to comply, the President warned of severe repercussions, indicating that the United States would target and obliterate Iran’s energy infrastructure, starting with its largest power plants.

Trump made this declaration on his Truth Social platform, emphasizing the urgency of the situation: “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!”

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran comes as a direct response to the conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on February 28. This critical chokepoint is usually a major artery for global energy supplies, with approximately 20% of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it during times of peace.

As a result of this closure, nations heavily reliant on these shipping routes are frantically seeking alternative pathways and dipping into their reserves. This disruption has led to a surge in global fuel prices, posing a significant threat of inflation as the conflict drags on.

Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. military confirmed it had struck an Iranian bunker that housed weapons poised to threaten oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, further intensifying the already tense situation.

The US military said earlier on Saturday that it had damaged an Iranian bunker housing weapons threatening oil and gas shipments in the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement appeared designed to calm the concerns of energy markets and of Washington’s skeptical international allies, more than 20 of whom issued a statement vowing to back efforts to re-open the key sea lane.

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