U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed more threats Sunday toward Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened in the coming days.
In an expletive-filled early morning post on his Truth Social platform, the president said, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all wrapped up into one, in Iran,” unless the strait is reopened. President Trump also said in a phone call with Fox News that he is “considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil” if peace negotiations fail.
The renewed threats come as the war, now in its sixth week, has claimed the lives of thousands — including at least 13 Americans — and rocked global markets, with key shipping routes remaining cut off. The Strait of Hormuz typically sees about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply pass through it and has effectively been shut down by Iran since the war broke out.
Last week, foreign ministers and officials from more than 40 countries met in search of a peaceful resolution to Iran’s ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The countries placed blame squarely on Iran for keeping the strait closed, allowing only a trickle of ships friendly to Iran through.
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None of the participating countries are seeking direct confrontation with Iran, but they are considering how their militaries might facilitate the reopening of the strait once the conflict concludes — for example, by helping to demine the waterway. In the meantime, President Trump has said countries affected by the loss of oil would need to retrieve it themselves and has called for broader involvement in the war from U.S. allies.
