US President Donald Trump warned Iran that it has a mere 48 hours before facing severe consequences. He reminded the Islamic Republic that it had 10 days to either “make a deal” or “open up the Hormuz Strait” on March 26. However, with just two days remaining, he said, “time is running out”.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!”, he wrote on Truth Social.
On March 26, Trump claimed that he had pushed back his deadline for Tehran to strike a deal with Washington or face more attacks at Iran’s request, even though the Islamic Republic has dismissed a US proposal to end the conflict as “one-sided and unfair.”
Trump said Iran had sought a seven-day pause on American strikes targeting its energy infrastructure, but he decided to extend the window to 10 days, pushing the deadline to April 6.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said officials in Tehran had approached his administration, requesting more time as part of the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two sides, amid war in the Middle East. “They said to me very nicely, through my people, ‘Could we have more time?’ Because we’re talking about tomorrow night, which is pretty quick, and if they don’t do what they have to do, I will knock out their power plants,” Trump said.
“They asked for seven, and I said, ‘I’m going to give you 10,’ because they gave me ships,’ he added.
Experts have said that attacks on civilian energy infrastructure constitute a war crime.
Iran’s parliament speaker has made a veiled threat against another crucial waterway in the Middle East. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and sees about a quarter of global container shipping traffic to and from the Suez Canal.
Raising the stakes regarding global supply chain vulnerabilities, Ghalibaf questioned the extent of the world’s reliance on the passage. He asked, “What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertiliser shipments transits the Bab el-Mandeb Strait?” Along with a thinking face emoji, he added, “Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?”