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The president Donald Trump posted a direct threat against Iran on Truth Social this Monday: if an agreement is not reached "shortly" and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened immediately, the United States will completely destroy its power plants, oil wells, the island of Kharg, and possibly its desalination plants.
"United States is in serious talks with a NEW AND MORE REASONABLE REGIME to end our military operations in Iran. Significant progress has been made, but if for any reason an agreement is not reached soon —which is likely to happen— and if the Strait of Hormuz does not open 'for business' immediately, we will end our 'presence' in Iran by blowing up and completely destroying all of their power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalination plants), which we have deliberately not touched yet," Trump wrote.
The leader justified the threat as a historical reprisal: "This will be in retaliation for our many soldiers, and others, whom Iran has massacred and murdered during the 47 years of 'reign of terror' of the former regime."
The warning comes in the context of the "Epic Fury Operation", jointly launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, which resulted in the death of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei and much of the Iranian leadership, as well as the destruction of nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
In response to that offensive, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz on March 19 using mines, drones, and missiles, attacking over 20 commercial vessels and leaving approximately 2,000 ships with 20,000 sailors on board stranded.
Trump issued a first 48-hour ultimatum on March 21 demanding the reopening of the strait, postponed it for five days on March 23 after describing the talks as "very positive and productive," and extended it again on March 27 until April 6 at 8:00 PM, citing gestures of goodwill from Iran regarding the passage of oil tankers.
The island of Kharg, located in the Persian Gulf 25 kilometers off the Iranian coast, accounts for between 90% and 95% of the country's oil exports and has a storage capacity of approximately 30 million barrels, making it the export heart of Iranian crude oil.
Iran, for its part, has denied the existence of direct talks with Washington and confirmed that it received and rejected a 15-point proposal presented by the U.S. administration.
The president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, was emphatic in stating that the Strait of Hormuz "will never return to its pre-war state," while the Revolutionary Guard threatened reprisals against energy plants and desalination facilities of the United States and Israel.
Negotiations have been mediated by third parties with the involvement of envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Trump has mentioned a potential agreement that would include a five-year pause on the Iranian missile program, the cessation of uranium enrichment, and the dismantling of nuclear facilities.
Amnesty International described on March 23 the threats to Iranian civilian infrastructure as a "threat to commit war crimes." Erika Guevara-Rosas, the senior director of research for the organization, warned that the attacks would cause catastrophic harm to millions of civilians, depriving them of electricity, water, food, health, and an adequate standard of living, in violation of international humanitarian law.
The current deadline expires on April 6, a date that Trump has extended twice before in light of signs of diplomatic progress, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the military operation against Iran could end soon if an agreement is reached.
President Donald J. Trump wrote:
The United States is in serious talks with a NEW AND MORE REASONABLE REGIME to end our military operations in Iran. Significant progress has been made, but if for any reason an agreement is not reached soon—which is likely to happen—and if the Strait of Hormuz does not open "for business" immediately, we will conclude our “stay” in Iran by detonating and completely destroying all of its power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalination plants), which we have deliberately not touched yet.
This will be in retaliation for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has massacred and killed during the 47 years of the "reign of terror" of the old regime.
Gracias por su atención a este asunto.
Presidente DONALD J. TRUMP
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