Trump Threatens Iran Power Plants in 48-Hour Ultimatum
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- Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum Saturday, threatening to "obliterate" Iran's power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens to international traffic, as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week
- Iran launched a new wave of airstrikes on Israel, with missiles hitting the southern cities of Arad and Dimona — the two cities closest to Israel's nuclear research center — injuring more than 100 people and leaving over 1,000 homeless
- Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said two missiles penetrated Israel's air defenses, which have intercepted 92% of the 400-plus missiles Iran has fired during the war, while a separate strike damaged Tel Aviv's main train station near the Kirya military headquarters
- Iran's defense ministry declared the country "must continue the war without interruption with intensity and strength until the enemy's complete surrender," and Iran's Parliament speaker threatened that critical energy and oil infrastructure "throughout the region" would be considered legitimate targets
- Israel struck Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility in the past 48 hours, which Israel has not confirmed or denied carrying out, prompting Iran's retaliatory missile barrage
- Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel's president visited Arad, where residents expressed defiance but also exhaustion from sheltering four to five times daily; multiple missiles and drones were also intercepted in Gulf States
Why it matters: Trump's 48-hour Hormuz ultimatum escalates the conflict from military targets to Iran's civilian power grid, while Iran's Parliament speaker explicitly threatened regional oil and energy infrastructure — a dual signal that both sides are moving toward broader economic warfare. With over 1,000 Israelis now homeless and Gulf States intercepting missiles daily, the conflict is spreading beyond the original combatants. The reported 92% Israeli interception rate shows air defenses are holding but not impenetrable, as two missiles reaching Dimona — adjacent to Israel's nuclear research center — demonstrates the escalation threshold is being tested.
