DONALD Trump has issued Iran with a 48-hour ultimatum to “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz – unless it wants its power plants “obliterated”.
In a post on Truth Social, the US President said: “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’s post marks one of his most direct threats against the Islamic Regime since the start of the war.
The 1,000-megawatt Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant – which uses Russian fuel – is Iran’s most prominent and largest nuclear power facility, located along the Persian Gulf.
This comes after the President said on Friday that the US is considering “winding down” military efforts in the Middle East as the Iranian threat was being “eliminated”.
At the same time, US Marines and heavy landing aircraft head to the region.
MARK ALMOND
Why UK will ALWAYS be a target after Iran’s dangerous attack on Diego Garcia
TONY PARSONS
Cost of living will surge because of Trump & he wants US to clean up his mess?
Earlier today, the leader said the US was close to meeting its goals – but insisted that other countries should take the lead in policing the shipping lane.
“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it. The United States does not!” he added.
“If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.”
Iran has effectively blocked access to the strait – the world’s most strategic oil passageway – in response to US and Israeli attacks, threatening a global energy shock.
About a fifth of the world’s oil is transited through the shipping lane, which splits Iran on one side and Oman and the UAE on the other, and links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean.
Trump’s threat landed as the conflict entered dangerous new territory – a tit-for-tat scenario between Israel and Iran, who unleashed missiles at each other’s nuclear sites earlier today.
At the same time, a British nuclear-powered submarine equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles has taken position in the Arabian Sea, the Daily Mail reported.
This would give the UK the capability to launch long-range strikes if regional conflict escalates.
HMS Anson, which is armed with Tomahawk Block IV missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, left Perth earlier this month and travelled roughly 5,500 miles to the region, the Daily Mail said.
The submarine surfaces periodically to communicate with the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, where any launch order would be authorised by the prime minister and conveyed by the chief of joint operations, the report added.
The deployment comes after Downing Street authorised the US to use UK bases for strikes on Iranian sites threatening the strait.