On Easter Sunday morning, US President Donald Trump spooked supporters and critics alike with a strongly worded post on social media, warning Iran that it would face dire consequences if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Open the damn strait you crazy bastards or live in hell – JUST WATCH! Praise Allah,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social hours after the US military carried out a daring operation to rescue a missing crew member of a fighter jet shot down in Iran.
Read also | US-Iran war LIVE: The clock is ticking as Trump issues expletive-laden Hormuz deadline
He said he would order strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges this Tuesday if the passage remains closed to sea traffic. Trump warned in his profanity-laced message that the country would “live in hell” if the route was not reopened.
Here’s how politicians responded to Trump’s threat
Jake Auchincloss, a Democratic lawmaker and former U.S. Marine, told Fox News on Sunday that Iran considers its control of the Strait of Hormuz even more strategically important than developing nuclear weapons.
“Strategically, this war was a failure,” he added.
Ro Khanna, a Democratic lawmaker, said that while Donald Trump “uses profanity and threatens actions that could amount to war crimes,” so does the “failure” of U.S. troops in Iran, who Khanna said are still under attack despite the president’s claims that they have crippled Iran’s military, according to CNN.
In an interview with Meet the Press, Khanna added: “We need to end this war now. We need an immediate ceasefire. Iran, Israel and the United States must stop the bombing and move towards a negotiated settlement.”
“On Easter morning, President Trump released this,” Greene said on X.
“Everybody in his administration who claims to be a Christian needs to get on their knees and ask God for forgiveness and stop worshiping the president and interfering with Trump’s madness,” she added.
“This is the first war waged in this age of social media with this president. I think he’s doing things very differently,” Bill Stepien, Trump’s former campaign manager, told CNN.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called the Trump administration’s “rhetoric” “embarrassing and juvenile.”
“I hope the White House — I doubt the president will — but please tone down the rhetoric because you don’t need to put people like these pilots at risk any more with the rhetoric that you’re using,” Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, told NBC News.
Read also | A downed airman, a mountain shelter and a high-risk rescue in Iran
“It’s disgusting,” Democratic Congresswoman Becca Balint said during an appearance on MS NOW’s “The Weekend.”
“It’s shocking that he’s our president,” Balint added.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the US president an “unlocked lunatic”.
“Happy Easter, America. As you head to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is raving like a raving lunatic on social media,” Schumer said in a post on X.
“If I were in Trump’s cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th amendment. It’s completely, utterly unhinged. It’s already killed thousands. It’s going to kill thousands more,” said Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut.
The 25th Amendment also allows the Cabinet to remove the President after he declares that he is unable to carry out his duties.
How did Iran respond to Trump’s threat?
Iran’s culture minister on Sunday dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest threats, calling the US leader an “unstable, deceitful figure”.
“Iranian society in general does not pay attention to his statements because they believe that he lacks personal, behavioral and verbal balance and constantly switches between opposing positions,” Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri told The Associated Press in an interview on Sunday.
Read also | US now ‘begging’ world and India to buy Russian oil – Iran mocks Trump
“Trump seems to have become a phenomenon that neither the Iranians nor the Americans are able to fully analyze,” Salihi-Amiri said.
According to him, the Strait of Hormuz is “open to the world, but closed to Iran’s enemies.”
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter?
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, winding channel that narrows to about 33 kilometers (21 mi) at its narrowest point, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
From here, ships can access major global shipping routes. Although parts of the strait are controlled by Iran and Oman, it is widely considered an international waterway open to all vessels. Nearby lies the United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai, which is located close to this vital thoroughfare.
Read also | 8 OPEC members agree to increase oil production once Hormuz reopens
Historically, the strait was a major trade corridor that allowed goods such as ceramics, ivory, silk, and textiles to be transported from China.
Graphics: Will Jarrett. AP.
Today, it is a key route for supertankers transporting oil and gas from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran. Much of this energy is supplied to Asian markets, particularly China, which remains Iran’s main oil customer.
Although Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pipelines that can bypass the strait, the US Energy Information Administration notes that most of the oil that passes through has no alternative route out of the region.
Historically, threats to the strait have driven up global energy prices, including during the Israel-Iran conflict in June 2026.
(With input from agencies)
