Iran-US war latest: Iran says Strait of Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked ships’ after Trump’s threat
The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies”, a top Iranian official said Sunday, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” the Islamic Republic’s power grid if the waterway was not “fully open” within 48 hours.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Saturday evening.
Tanker traffic through the waterway — a vital artery of global commerce — has ground to a halt amid Iran’s de facto blockade. As a result, oil prices have surged beyond the $100-a-barrel threshold and the average cost for a gallon of diesel has risen above $5.
Iran’s representative to the International Maritime Organisation, Ali Mousavi, said Tehran was ready to cooperate to improve maritime safety in the Gulf, adding that ships not linked to “Iran’s enemies” could pass through.
On Friday, Trump criticized NATO allies for refusing to help secure the strait, though he later claimed it would soon “open itself” and dismissed the waterway as being of little importance to the U.S.
