NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
president Donald Trump On Saturday, Iran issued a 48-hour ultimatum and warned the United States that it would attack its power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened.
“If Iran does not FULLY OPEN THE Strait of Hormuz WITHOUT THREAT within 48 HOURS of this exact moment, the United States of America will attack and eliminate its various POWER PLANTS, starting with the BIGGEST FIRST!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The president’s threat represents a notable escalation in rhetoric as tensions rise over the strategic waterway.
Traffic through the Strait of HormuzA global bottleneck for oil and gas transportation that supplies about a fifth of the world’s crude has been largely restricted since early March, shortly after the start of the war with Iran.
President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the US could attack Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Getty Images)
Trump’s post came after he said this to reporters on Friday Reopening of the Strait was a “simple military maneuver”.
“It’s relatively safe, but you need a lot of help in the sense that you need ships, you need volume,” he said.
The president added that NATO does not have the “courage” to help the US reopen the waterway.
Trump says we ‘wiped out’ targets in attack on key Iranian oil hubs
The Callisto tanker lies at anchor as traffic eases in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
“NATO could help us, but they haven’t had the courage to do so, and others could help us,” Trump said. “But, you know, we’re not using it. You know, at some point it’s going to open up again.”
Earlier Friday, Trump called NATO “cowards” on Truth Social and said they “complain about the high oil prices they have to pay but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.”
A growing group of countries have signed a joint statement signaling their “willingness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the strait.
The joint statement said: “We express our willingness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” and: “We welcome the engagement of nations participating in preparatory planning.”
The statement was attributed to leaders from more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
“We condemn the recent events in the strongest possible terms Iran attacks on unarmed merchant vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas facilities and the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement said.
NATO heavyweights balk at Hormuz mission as Trump warns the alliance is in danger
A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and crucial to global energy supplies. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to immediately cease its threats, mine-laying, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the strait to commercial shipping and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement continued.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Earlier this week, US Armed Forces According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Iranian anti-ship missile bases near the Strait of Hormuz were attacked with 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
