Trump threatens to strike Iran power plants if Strait of Hormuz is not reopened

President Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!,” Trump said in a social media post on Saturday.

Trump did not specify which facilities he was referring to, though Iran’s largest power plants are reported to include sites near Tehran and in northern and central parts of the country.

The post was published at 7:44 p.m. ET, meaning the 48-hour deadline would expire at 7:44 p.m. ET on Monday.

The threat came as the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed amid the ongoing war.

It also came after Iran’s atomic energy organization said the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex was targeted earlier Saturday in what it described as attacks by the United States and Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), however, said they were not involved in the strike.