Iran has 48 hours to make a deal, says Trump, or US will unleash ‘hell’

US President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday.

Photo: AP US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran had 48 hours left to make a deal on opening the vital Strait of Hormuz or face “Hell”. “Remember when I gave Iran 10 days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The waterway is vital to the global oil and gas trade. “Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them,” the president said on Saturday, adding: “Glory be to GOD!” Trump had initially threatened on March 21 to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, beginning with the country’s biggest, “if Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS”.

Two days later, however, he said “very good and productive conversations” were being held with Iranian authorities, and that he had postponed any strikes on power plants for five days.

He later again pushed the deadline back, to expire at 8.00pm on Monday (0000 GMT Tuesday).

Tehran has denied reports of talks, with severe attacks continuing on both sides in recent days.

Experts have said that attacks on civilian energy infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely at a standstill, more than a month after the US and Israel launched large-scale attacks against Iran on February 28.

Additional reporting by dpa

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