US President Donald Trump appeared to set a new deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, threatening Tehran with “hell” in an expletive-laden post on his Truth Social platform.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day all rolled into one in Iran. There will be no such thing!!! Open the F***** strait you crazy b***s or live in Hell – BEWARE!,” was Trump’s ominous warning.
“Tuesday, 8pm EST!” the US president said in a follow-up post, seemingly setting a deadline for Iran to comply with his demands.
Trump’s fresh threat to Iran on Sunday came after the US president repeatedly threatened Iran’s critical and energy infrastructure unless Tehran accepts a ceasefire deal or reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the threat, Iran is defying
But Iran responded with threats of its own, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf accusing Trump of pushing the US into a “living HELL” and warning the region could “burn up”.
“Make no mistake: You gain nothing from war crimes. The only real solution is to respect the rights of the Iranian people and end this dangerous game,” Ghalibaf said.
The US rescues the missing airman, but at a cost
The US president’s warning to Iran and Tehran also came after an action-packed Sunday in which US special forces carried out a daring rescue of the second crew member of a downed F-15, an operation which Trump described as “one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history”.
While Trump celebrated the rescue of an F-15 crew member, Iran claimed on Sunday that it had shot down three more U.S. aircraft — this time a C-130 military transport plane and two Blackhawk helicopters. Reports suggested that the US military might have destroyed the planes themselves to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
The oil markets were rocked
Amid the effective closure of the key Strait of Hormuz, oil prices continue to show a strong upward trajectory, with benchmark Brent crude reaching $110.85 on Sunday.
The price of Brent crude was around $72 a barrel before the war began, but has risen more than 50% since February 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, throwing the Middle East into chaos and forcing Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.
Diplomatic efforts
Amid trade threats between the US and Iran, Oman has reportedly spoken to Tehran about reopening the Strait of Hormuz: CNN reported, citing officials, that talks have been ongoing for several weeks and are focused on establishing a “safe passage protocol” that would allow commercial shipping to resume through the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Pakistan are trying to maintain communication between US and Iranian officials.
