Trump Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Amid Iranian Attacks on Israel

US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Saturday, giving the country 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure, as Tehran launched a devastating attack on Israel.

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This ultimatum came just a day after Trump considered "winding down" military operations following three weeks of war, with the key oil passage remaining effectively closed and thousands of American Marines heading to the Middle East.

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Trump took to Truth Social to announce that the US would "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants, starting with the largest one, if Tehran failed to fully reopen the strait within 48 hours, or by 23:44 GMT on Monday.

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Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by stating that Tehran had only imposed restrictions on vessels from countries involved in attacks against Iran and would assist others that remained neutral in the conflict.

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In response to Trump's threat, Iran's army vowed to target energy and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and its regional allies, according to the Fars news agency.

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Trump's ultimatum followed a devastating attack by two Iranian missiles on southern Israel, which injured over 100 people, marking the most destructive attack since the war began.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to retaliate "on all fronts" after the strikes, which bypassed Israel's missile defense systems and caused significant damage to residential buildings.

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In the town of Arad, 84 people were injured, with 10 suffering serious wounds, while 33 were wounded in nearby Dimona, where a large hole was gouged into the ground next to piles of rubble and twisted metal.

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Dimona is home to a facility widely believed to be the site of the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, although Israel has never confirmed possession of nuclear weapons.

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The Israeli army reported a "direct missile hit on a building" in Dimona, with casualties at multiple sites, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition with shrapnel wounds.

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In Arad, emergency workers combed through the rubble of heavily damaged buildings, as Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Iran after what he described as a "very difficult evening".

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Hours later, the Israeli military launched a wave of strikes on Tehran, with Iran claiming the targeting of Dimona was retaliation for Israeli strikes on its Natanz nuclear facility.

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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that forces also targeted other southern Israeli towns, as well as military sites in Kuwait and the UAE.

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Following the Natanz attack, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his call for "military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident".

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The Natanz facility, which hosts underground centrifuges used to enrich uranium for Iran's disputed nuclear program, sustained damage in the June 2025 war.

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The Israeli military denied involvement in the Natanz strike but claimed to have struck a facility at a Tehran university allegedly used to develop nuclear weapon components for Iran's ballistic missile program.

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The destruction in Israel capped three weeks of heavy US-Israeli bombardment, which appeared to have little impact on Iran's ability to retaliate with missile and drone attacks across the region.

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Iran also launched an unsuccessful ballistic-missile attack on the US-UK base at Diego Garcia, approximately 4,000 kilometers away, which would have been the longest-range Iranian strike yet if successful.

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The United Arab Emirates reported facing aerial attacks after Iran warned it against allowing strikes from its territory on disputed islands near the Strait of Hormuz.

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Iran has choked off the vital waterway, which carries a fifth of global crude oil trade in peacetime, sending crude oil prices soaring, with North Sea Brent crude now trading above $105 a barrel.

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A joint statement from the leaders of several countries, including the UK, France, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Australia, the UAE, and Bahrain, condemned the "de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces".

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The leaders expressed their readiness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait, as Trump slammed NATO allies as "cowards" and urged them to secure the strait.

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Analysts note that Iran's government has survived the loss of its top leaders, and its strike capacity is proving more durable than expected, showing "a lot of resilience" according to Neil Quilliam of Chatham House.

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Tehran marked the end of Ramadan as the war entered its fourth week, with Iran's supreme leader traditionally leading Eid al-Fitr prayers, but Mojtaba Khamenei remaining out of the public eye after coming to power earlier this month.

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The head of the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, attended prayers at central Tehran's overflowing Imam Khomeini grand mosque, as the city celebrated the New Year.

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An advertising executive, Farid, described the atmosphere in the city, saying "the thought that some people could be dying right at the New Year dinner table was painful".