*Tehran Instantly Vows Retaliation
US President onald Trump has posted this on Truth Social in the past few minutes: “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! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Iran has effectively closed down the strait by attacking ships and reportedly laying mines in the waterway, causing a major crisis in global energy markets and triggering a jerk-up in petrol prices across the world with the development worsening Nigeria’s cost of living crisis as a litre of petrol now costs about N1200 in many parts of the oil-producing nation.
There are growing concerns the US does not have a clean exit strategy from the conflict that can guarantee a stable resumption of the oil trade and other freight.
Several NATO members and other US allied nations pledged last week to join “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the strait.
But a joint statement from the leaders of more than a dozen nations – including the UK , France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Bahrain – did not provide details on how they would do this.
Trump earlier called alliance members “cowards” for not wanting “to help open” the vital waterway to oil tankers.
The US is reportedly preparing to send three more warships and thousands more troops to the Middle East – though on Friday Trump also said he was considering “winding down” the US war on Iran.
His latest ultimatum has already prompted warnings from Iran’s military that it will similarly target US energy infrastructure if its own facilities are attacked.
The Iranian military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by Fars news agency: “Following previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is violated by the enemy, all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted.”
