Trump threatens to strike Iran power plants in 48 hours over Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, warning that the United States would hit its power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened.

“If Iran does not COMPLETELY, WITHOUT THREAT, open the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours from this very moment, the United States of America will strike and wipe out their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE LARGEST FIRST!” » Trump said in an article on Truth Social.

The president’s threat represents a notable escalation in rhetoric as tensions rise around this strategically vital waterway.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil and gas shipping chokepoint 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.

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President Donald Trump warned Saturday that the United States could strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Getty Images)

Trump’s message comes after he told reporters Friday that reopening 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 did not have the “courage” to help the United States reopen the waterway.

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The oil tanker Callisto is anchored as traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman. (Benoît Tessier / Reuters)

“NATO could help us, but so far they haven’t had the courage to do so, and others could help us,” Trump said. “But, you know, we don’t use it. You know, at some point it’s going to open itself again.”

Earlier Friday, Trump called NATO “cowards” in Truth Social, saying they “complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.”

A growing group of countries signed a joint declaration signaling their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” across 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 commitment of nations engaging in preparatory planning.”

The statement was attributed to leaders of more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Iran’s recent attacks on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement said.

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A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supplies. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

“We express our deep concern over the escalation of the 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 navigation, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement continued.

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Earlier this week, U.S. forces struck Iranian anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz with 5,000-pound bunker busting bombs, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Greg Norman-Diamond of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.