Trump Threatened to Obliterate Iran’s Power Plants. Then He Backed Down.
The big picture: Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants. Iran threatened to destroy energy infrastructure across the entire Gulf in response. This morning, Trump postponed strikes for five days, claiming “productive conversations.” Iran says no negotiations exist.
Why it matters: The Strait of Hormuz handles 20% of the world’s oil. It’s been effectively shut down since the war began. Oil prices are at their highest since 2022. The sanctions architecture the U.S. spent years building against Russia and Iran is being dismantled to manage the fallout. And the head of the International Energy Agency has called this the biggest threat to global energy security in history.
The 48-hour threat: Saturday, Trump posted: “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS.” This came one day after he claimed the U.S. was “winding down” operations — while the military was actually ramping up strikes.
Iran’s response: A military spokesman vowed to strike “fuel, energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure” across the region. The Strait would remain “completely closed” until any damaged plants were rebuilt. The Speaker of Parliament warned that all regional energy infrastructure would become “legitimate targets” and threatened to target buyers of U.S. Treasury bonds.
The TACO: This morning, Trump wrote that the U.S. and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” and postponed strikes for five days. Iran’s foreign ministry said Trump’s post was meant “to reduce energy prices and to buy time.” A senior security official said: “There have been no negotiations and there are none underway.”
The sanctions collapse: To manage oil prices, Trump has lifted sanctions on ~140 million barrels of Iranian oil, Russian oil at sea, and companies in Belarus. Sanctions consultant Brett Erickson: “Two countries that we’ve spent years sanctioning are now the direct beneficiaries of a conflict the United States chose to start.”
The NATO fight: Trump called NATO allies “COWARDS” for refusing to escort ships through the Strait, calling it “a simple military maneuver.” Allies continue to refuse. Trump has simultaneously claimed the U.S. doesn’t need NATO’s help while complaining about not getting it.
Israel’s air defense concerns: Two Iranian missiles struck southern Israel Saturday, wounding ~180 people including children. The Arrow 3 system was reportedly not deployed. A former air defense commander told the NYT: “It is not a bottomless barrel.” Iran has also started using cluster munitions, injuring 15 in central Israel yesterday.
By the numbers:
48 — hours in Trump’s original ultimatum
5 — days in the postponement
140 million — barrels of Iranian oil with sanctions lifted
3,000+ — miles from Tehran to the Indian Ocean base Iran reportedly targeted
180 — people wounded in Saturday’s strikes on southern Israel
1,000+ — killed in Israel’s Lebanon offensive
The bottom line: Trump made a threat. Iran called it. He backed down and pushed the deadline. Iran says there are no talks. The Strait is still closed. The sanctions are being torn apart. And in five days, we’re right back here. The question is whether Trump backs down again or follows through on a threat that could trigger the worst global energy crisis in modern history.
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OH MY, He thinks he's still in his play pen, throwing a tentrum as his diaper is full of shit and it's getting into his head.