Tensions over the status of the Strait of Hormuz rose on Sunday after Iran responded to President Donald Trump's 48-hour ultimatum, saying if Tehran did not reopen the strategic waterway, the US will bomb its nuclear power plants. While several people wondered whether the strait is open or closed, Iran's foreign minister issued a statement.
Strait of Hormuz: Open or closed?
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the strait is not closed as of now. “Strait of Hormuz is not closed. Ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated—not Iran,” he wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats. Try respect. Freedom of Navigation cannot exist without Freedom of Trade. Respect both—or expect neither,” he added.
48-hour warning raises stakes
Trump issued a dramatic ultimatum to Iran, warning that the US will strike key infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours.
{{/usCountry}}Trump issued a dramatic ultimatum to Iran, warning that the US will strike key infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours.
{{/usCountry}}In a social media post, Trump threatened to target “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
‘Trump has no plan’
The threat has sparked intense backlash from lawmakers and legal experts.
“Trump has no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, so he is threatening to attack Iran’s civil power plants,” said Sen Ed Markey, D-Mass, adding: “This would be a war crime.”
“He’s lost control of the war and he is panicking,” said Sen Chris Murphy, D-Conn., responding to Trump's post.
Legal analysts also raised concerns about the implications of targeting civilian infrastructure.
“It certainly has a feeling of ready, fire, aim,” said Geoffrey Corn, a military law professor and former Army lieutenant colonel. “He overestimated his ability to control the events once he unleashed this torrent of violence.”.
“You can’t all of a sudden walk away after you’ve kind of created the event and expect other people to pick it up,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
Trump admin responds
Trump’s aides have defended the ultimatum as a necessary show of force. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz argued that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard controls much of the country’s infrastructure and uses it to sustain military operations.
He said potential targets include “gas-fired thermal power plants and other types of plants,” adding that “The president is not messing around.”
Despite backing Trump’s broader objective, some allies have urged restraint.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that more than 20 countries are “coming together to implement his vision” of reopening the strait.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, warned against widespread destruction.
“We want to leave everything in the country intact, so that the people who come after this regime are going to be able to rebuild and reconstitute,” he said.
Risk of further escalation
Iran has signaled that any attack on its infrastructure could trigger a stronger response, including a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliatory strikes on US and Israeli assets.
(With AP inputs)