Trump issues 48-hour ultimatum: open Hormuz or U.S. bombs Iran's power plants

President Trump posted a 48-hour ultimatum on Truth Social at 11:44 PM on March 22, 2026, threatening to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants starting with the largest if Iran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz without threat. Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded that U.S. energy infrastructure across the region would become a legitimate target if Iran's infrastructure was attacked. Trump subsequently postponed the threatened strikes for five days, citing what he described as "productive conversations" with Tehran through diplomatic intermediaries.