Trump has given Iran 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has stated that Iran must fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Otherwise, the United States may launch strikes against the country’s energy facilities.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, he wrote that if Iran does not open the strait without threats within this timeframe, the US will strike and destroy power stations, starting with the largest one.
The Iranian side responded to the statement. The operational command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that in the event of an attack on Iran’s oil or energy infrastructure, energy, IT and desalination facilities belonging to the US and its allies in the region would be targeted.
Prior to this, Donald Trump commented on The New York Times columnist David Sanger’s assessment of the results of US military action in Iran. The US President stated that he had achieved his objectives ahead of schedule, claiming that Iran’s leadership had been eliminated and its navy and air force destroyed. He also wrote that Iran has no defence and is seeking to strike a deal, whereas he does not want this.
Against the backdrop of the US and Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, has effectively been blocked by the Iranian military.
Iran is also striking oil infrastructure in the Persian Gulf region and tankers, which has already contributed to a rise in global energy prices.
Donald Trump has criticised NATO allies, calling on them to play a more active role in ensuring security in the Strait.
According to estimates by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, if the blockade continues until the end of June, global economic growth in the second quarter could fall by 2.9 percentage points year-on-year. If the strait remains closed for three quarters, the price of oil could rise to $132 per barrel by the end of the year.
The US and Israel have been carrying out air strikes on Iran since 28 February. Reports suggest that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a number of senior officials were killed in these strikes. In response, Iran is attacking countries in the Persian Gulf region with missiles and drones, claiming that the targets are US military bases. Oil facilities and tankers have also been hit.
