Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants if Strait of Hormuz isn't opened in 48 hours
NBC News
Iran targeted a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean, and Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site was struck again, as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week.
President Donald Trump threatened Iran in a Truth Social post Saturday evening, warning that the U.S. would target the nation’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
“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 wrote in the post.
Approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes through the the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route. Iranian attacks on ships in the area have seen the area essentially close to maritime traffic, while oil prices have soared globally.
The Trump administration said Friday that it lifted some sanctions to allow the sale of oil produced in Iran, the latest attempt at slowing skyrocketing energy prices.
During the war with Iran, retail gas prices have risen 93 cents per gallon, and the price of U.S. crude oil has gone up more than 70% since the start of the year. Earlier this month, the administration also lifted the Jones Act, allowing some shipping regulations on oil to be removed. The move also lifted some sanctions on Russian oil temporarily.
Iran launched attacks against Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City and other Gulf energy infrastructure after Israel bombed the South Pars gas field.
Follow NBC News for live updates on the latest about the war with Iran and the energy crisis.
Iran's Houthi proxy forces in Yemen say they are poised to attack the Red Sea shipping route, risking another peril for the world economy.
Israel has again shown its unrivaled ability to assassinate high-level enemies, announcing the killing Tuesday of the man widely seen as running Iran
Israel has again shown its unrivaled ability to assassinate high-level enemies, announcing the killing Tuesday of the man widely seen as running Iran
Follow NBC News for live updates on the latest about the war with Iran, where the U.S. launched bunker buster bombs, while Israel struck Lebanon.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the country was running on about 40% of the fuel it needs. Women are giving birth in dark hospitals with no power.
Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official and one of the regime's most powerful figures, was killed in overnight strikes, Israel said Tuesday.
As the U.S. and Cuba hold conversations to decide the island’s fate, food and medicine there are scarce or unaffordable, and simple tasks like cooking are burdensome.
Moscow has been hit by a major mobile internet blackout as the Russian government tightens restrictions it has touted as necessary to ensure the “security” of its citizens.
Cuban nationals living abroad in places such as Miami will be allowed to invest in the private sector and own businesses in their homeland, the country's economic czar has told NBC News in an exclusive interview.
Follow live news and the latest updates on the Iran war.
KYIV, Ukraine — As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, Ukraine could prove to be an invaluable trove of battle-tested expertise from its own bitter and costly fight against Russia