Mohammad Sio
22 March 2026•Update: 22 March 2026
ISTANBUL
Iranian Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani threatened Sunday to escalate retaliatory actions across the region following a 48-hour ultimatum by US President Donald Trump for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Hormuz Strait card has pressured Trump to the point that he set a 48-hour deadline,” Esfahani said in a statement on US social media company X.
“He (Trump) is unaware that the next card – the destruction of the most important part of the electricity and water infrastructure of the Zionist entity (Israel) and the United States in the region – will increase the pressure on him even more,” he added.
“So it is better for the residents of the Zionist entity and the peoples of the countries hosting Iran’s enemies to conserve water and charge their mobile phones during these 48 hours.”
The threat came after Trump issued an ultimatum Saturday, giving Tehran 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants, “starting with the biggest one first.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Friday that Iran would show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure was attacked.
Since early March, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route that normally handles about 20 million barrels per day and roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade, to most ships. The closure has driven up shipping and insurance costs, pushed oil prices higher, and raised global economic concerns.
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets,” causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
