Donald Trump has said the US will destroy each of Iran’s power plants if the country doesn’t allow ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, one among the world’s busiest shipping routes for oil, has effectively been closed for nearly three weeks in retaliation for strikes by the US and Israel.
Energy prices the world over have spiked in consequence, with fears the situation could fuel significant inflation if it doesn’t end soon.
Writing on Truth Social, the US President said: ‘If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, inside 48 HOURS from this exact time limit, the US of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!’
The message was sent at around 11.45 pm on Saturday evening UK time, meaning the deadline will expire just before midnight on Monday.
It’s the newest effort from Trump to get traffic moving through the crucial waterway again amid an escalating crisis.
Shortly after Iran announced it could effectively close the strait on March 3, he suggested the US Navy could escort tankers, writing on social media his nation would ‘make sure the free flow of energy to the world’.
He has since backed down from that assurance, and on Friday wrote: ‘The Hormuz Strait could have to be guarded and policed, as mandatory, by other Nations who use it – The USA doesn’t!’
An earlier request from the US for other countries to send their warships to the conflict zone was widely rebuffed, with world leaders wary of putting their troops within the firing line.
That included the UK, with Sir Keir Starmer saying he desired to avoid being dragged into the broader war.
But on Friday, Downing Street gave permission for the US to make use of British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites which have targeted the strait.
A spokesperson said the move was simply continuing the ‘collective self-defence’ agreement that already allowed the US to perform defensive operations on Iran’s missile bases.
Each the Liberal Democrats and Green Party have called for a vote in Parliament on the move, with Green leader Zack Polanski calling it ‘one other worrying escalation’.
Meanwhile, forecasters are predicting the war in Iran will drive up annual energy bills by £332 when the value cap is refreshed in July.
The rise would mean bills reach their highest level for 3 years, and is nearly double the prediction lower than three weeks ago.
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