President Donald Trump threatens to obliterate Iran's power plants over Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump escalated tensions dramatically on Saturday by threatening to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants if the country did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

“Iran says Strait of Hormuz open to all except 'enemies,' state media, Iranian president say The Strait of Hormuz is open to everyone aside from Tehran's "enemies," Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization, Ali Mousavi, told the semi-official Mehr News Agency on Sunday”

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The ultimatum came in a Truth Social post where Trump warned that the United States would 'hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!' if the critical waterway was not reopened.

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This threat marked a significant escalation barely a day after Trump had talked about 'winding down' the war, demonstrating rapidly shifting strategy as the conflict entered its fourth week.

The narrow waterway serves as the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, and its near-closure had already sent European gas prices surging as much as 35% the previous week, creating urgent economic and geopolitical concerns worldwide.

Iran responded to Trump's threat with defiant warnings of its own, declaring readiness to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed indefinitely if the US attacks its energy infrastructure.

Iranian military officials stated that any attack on power plants would result in the 'complete closure' of the strait and that Iranian forces would target all U.S. energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure in the region.

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Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf went further, warning that regional infrastructure would become 'legitimate targets' and would be 'irreversibly destroyed' should Trump follow through with his threat.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that the response to such an attack would pale in comparison to previous attacks, declaring 'ZERO restraint if our infrastructures are struck again.'

Iran also demonstrated its expanding military capability by launching ballistic missiles with a 4,000 km range at the U.S.-British military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, marking the first time Iran had used such long-range missiles in the conflict.

International reactions to the escalating crisis were mixed, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defending Trump's approach while acknowledging the need for coordinated action.

“___ Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report”

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Rutte stated he was 'absolutely convinced' that NATO would be able to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and explained that the secret nature of military operations required time to calibrate responses.

He emphasized that 'European allies and partners all over the world have used the last couple of weeks to make sure that we come together' to plan collective action.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz reinforced Trump's warning, stating the president would 'start by attacking and destroying one of Iran's largest power plants' if the strait remained closed.

When asked about potential war crimes, Waltz deflected by pointing to Iranian actions, claiming 'I would encourage and will encourage the (UN) secretary general to point out the 20 to 30,000 Iranians that the regime massacred at scale.'

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, called on both sides to spare civilian infrastructure while continuing to target the Iranian regime, expressing support for US and Israel's efforts against the 'apparatus of repression.'

The escalating conflict sent shockwaves through global energy markets, with Brent crude closing at $112.19 on Friday - more than 70% higher than at the start of the year - and U.S. crude reaching $98 per barrel.

The resulting energy supply shock caused retail gas prices to rise 93 cents per gallon nationally, creating significant economic and political risks for Trump just eight months before midterm elections.

BBC

The Trump administration took extraordinary steps to mitigate the crisis, including temporarily lifting sanctions to allow the sale of Iranian oil that had already been loaded onto tankers and suspending the Jones Act to ease shipping regulations.

However, these measures did little to calm markets as shipping companies, insurers and crews remained hesitant to navigate the contested waters.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged the pain but argued that '50 days of temporary, elevated prices' was worth '50 years of peace in the Middle East,' though he admitted uncertainty about when prices would return to normal.

Analysts warned that oil and gas prices could hit new highs the longer the Iran war blocked the Strait of Hormuz, with potential 'irreversible destruction' of critical infrastructure in the region.

Legal and humanitarian experts raised serious concerns about Trump's threat to target civilian infrastructure, with multiple sources suggesting such actions could constitute war crimes.

Under the Geneva Conventions, attacks on 'objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population' are prohibited, and International Humanitarian Law stipulates that collateral civilian harm from strikes should not be 'excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.'

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The destruction of power plants could lead to widespread blackouts, impacting hospitals, water treatment facilities, and food supply chains, potentially affecting millions of civilians.

Iranian media reported that strikes across Iran had damaged more than 80,000 civilian units, including medical centers, schools, and ambulances, though CNN noted it could not independently verify these figures.

U.S. lawmakers expressed alarm, with Sen. Ed Markey declaring 'This would be a war crime' and Sen. Chris Murphy stating 'He's lost control of the war and he is panicking.'

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that threats against Iran 'only strengthen our unity,' while the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed hope that nuclear talks could be reestablished if fighting ceased.

The situation created a dangerous precedent for targeting civilian infrastructure in conflicts, with far-reaching implications for international humanitarian law.

The rapid escalation and shifting rhetoric highlighted what critics described as Trump's inconsistent approach to the escalating conflict.

Within the span of just a few days, Trump had cycled through multiple strategies - from calls for an international coalition to secure the waterway diplomatically, to lifting sanctions, and now directly threatening civilian infrastructure.

This erratic behavior fueled criticism that the president was 'grasping for answers after going to war without a clear exit plan,' as described by Associated Press.

Trump had previously promised naval escorts and a government-backed reinsurance program to help ships navigate the strait, but there were no signs that any tanker had yet transited with US Navy assistance.

Israeli officials also cautioned against an all-out attack, with Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, stating 'We want to leave everything in the country intact, so that the people who come after this regime are going to be able to rebuild and reconstitute.'

Meanwhile, the conflict continued to spread, with Iran launching ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia base and Israel expanding its target list to include bridges over the Litani River, further isolating Lebanese residents from the rest of the country.

The unpredictable escalation raised serious questions about the administration's war preparation and strategic planning in the Middle East.