Trump Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum: Open Strait of Hormuz or U.S. Will 'Obliterate' Iran's Power Plants

President Donald Trump issued an explosive ultimatum to Iran on Saturday night, threatening to "hit and obliterate" the country's power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The warning, posted in all-capital letters to Trump's Truth Social platform, marks the most severe direct threat to Iranian civilian infrastructure since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28.

"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 wrote Saturday evening from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He specifically singled out the Damavand Combined Cycle Power Plant, located on the outskirts of Tehran, as his primary target. The plant generates approximately 4,200 megawatts and supplies a substantial portion of the Iranian capital's electricity. Analysts warned that striking it would trigger sweeping civilian consequences across Iran's most densely populated region.

The ultimatum arrived after a day of accelerating violence. Two separate Iranian missile barrages struck the southern Israeli towns of Dimona and Arad — both located near Israel's secretive Negev Nuclear Research Center — wounding at least 90 people. Forty-seven were injured in Dimona and 64 in Arad, including a 10-year-old child in serious condition and seven adults in critical care. In a rare public acknowledgment, the Israel Defense Forces admitted that its Patriot and Arrow missile defense batteries failed to intercept the incoming missiles and announced a formal investigation. The IDF has now stopped more than 3,500 Iranian projectiles since the war began, but the Saturday failures exposed potential gaps in coverage or timing.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman through which roughly 20 percent of all global oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows, has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since the conflict began three weeks ago. Brent crude oil reached $112 per barrel on Friday, its highest level in four years. U.S. retail gasoline prices have climbed 93 cents per gallon since the war began and now average $3.91 nationally. In California, drivers are paying more than $5.50 per gallon. The energy price shock has rippled through equity markets, with inflation data now expected to worsen through April.

Twenty-two nations issued a joint condemnation of Iran's blockade on Friday, warning that "the effects of Iran's actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world." Trump has separately demanded that China, Japan, and NATO allies physically deploy naval assets to help police the strait — requests that all parties have so far declined. "Other nations need to come and protect it," Trump said at a Saturday press appearance. "We have done enough. We don't even need it. We're energy independent. Other countries need to step up."

The ultimatum also came the day after Trump publicly mused about "winding down" military operations in the Middle East, a suggestion that alarmed Israeli officials and raised hopes among war-weary members of Congress. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced this week that the U.S. military was preparing what he called "the largest strike package yet" against Iranian targets. At least 13 American service members have been killed since combat operations began February 28, and more than 230 have been wounded. A $200 billion emergency Pentagon war funding request is pending White House review.

Senate Democrats have now attempted to invoke the War Powers Resolution against the conflict for a fourth time, and Congressional leaders in both parties are pressing the administration for a formal exit strategy. The 48-hour deadline Trump set expires late Monday, March 23 — and neither Iran nor its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has shown any sign of agreeing to reopen the strait.