Donald Trump demanded Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, initially setting a 10-day deadline and later extending it, while threatening severe consequences.
Initial Ultimatum and Extension
Trump stated, “Do you remember when I gave Iran ten days to open the Strait of Hormuz? Time is running out – 48 hours before hell breaks loose. Praise be to God!” on his TruthSocial platform.
On March 26th, Trump announced a postponement of attacks on Iranian power plants until Monday, April 6th, at 8 PM Eastern Time (2 AM on April 7th in Poland). He had previously threatened to destroy Iranian power plants if Tehran did not unblock the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, later extending the ultimatum by five days.
Tehran Rejects Offer
Tehran rejected Washington’s offer.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had previously threatened escalating attacks on Iran if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but had backed down, claiming Tehran was open to a diplomatic solution.
Downed F-15 and Potential Retaliation
When questioned by NBC News about the downing of an American F-15 fighter jet over Iran, Trump said it would not affect negotiations with the country. American special forces rescued the pilot, but the second crew member remains missing.
Trump told the Independent he was not prepared to disclose what the U.S. reaction would be if the missing officer came to harm.
Conflict Escalation
The United States and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28th. Iranian media reported the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, and influential security advisor Ali Shamkhani the following day.
In response, Tehran and affiliated armed groups have been attacking U.S. and Israeli military bases and diplomatic facilities in the Persian Gulf region.
