President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on March 22, threatening to “hit and obliterate” the country’s power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would strike Iran’s energy infrastructure “starting with the biggest one first” if the strait was not opened by approximately 23:44 GMT on Monday, March 24.
We did not start the war and we will not start it now, but if the enemy harms our power plants, we will do everything to defend the country and the interests of our people.
The threat represented a significant escalation. Until this point, the coalition had largely avoided targeting Iran’s civilian power grid and had spared oil export facilities during the Kharg Island strikes on March 14.
Iran Responds with Counter-Threat
Iran responded within hours, saying it would completely shut the Strait of Hormuz if Trump carried out his threat. In an official statement, Tehran said: “We did not start the war and we will not start it now, but if the enemy harms our power plants, we will do everything to defend the country and the interests of our people.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, carries approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil supply. Since the war began, Iran had restricted but not fully closed the passage. Only about five ships per day were transiting with Iranian authorization, down from normal levels of dozens.
Oil Markets React
The ultimatum sent oil prices higher. Energy traders feared that a full closure of the strait combined with attacks on power generation would push the conflict into an entirely new phase with global economic consequences.
Iran’s ability to control or disrupt Hormuz traffic remained one of its most powerful strategic assets. Analysts noted that destroying it through strikes on power plants could eliminate Iran’s leverage while also plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis of electricity, water treatment, and hospital power.
The Broader Picture
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that more than 80,000 civilian sites had been hit across the country. The total number of people killed in Iran exceeded 1,500 according to state media, though independent monitors suggested higher figures.
Diplomatic efforts remained stalled. While Trump had repeatedly said Iran “wants to make a deal,” Iranian officials publicly denied any negotiations were underway. Back-channel communications through Pakistan, Egypt, and Oman were reportedly active but had produced no concrete results.
The ultimatum set the stage for one of the most consequential deadlines of the war, with the potential to dramatically expand the scope of destruction and economic fallout.