On Saturday, President Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, threatening dire consequences if the country did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or agree to a ceasefire within 48 hours. “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” he posted on Truth Social. “Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!”
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil, had been closed by Iran in retaliation for recent U.S.-Israeli attacks, creating turbulence in international energy markets.
Trump’s latest statement echoes a warning he issued on March 26, when he said he would delay attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days in the hope of negotiating a deal. Last weekend, he set a 48-hour ultimatum, vowing to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the strait remained closed.
The escalation comes after Iran downed two U.S. aircraft on Friday. All crew members were successfully rescued, the president announced Saturday evening. Following the final rescue, Trump issued another warning, this time laced with colorful language: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F**kin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Trump also detailed the daring rescue of a weapons officer aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle. “WE GOT HIM!” he wrote. The officer, trapped behind enemy lines in Iran’s mountainous terrain, was rescued by U.S. forces using dozens of aircraft and advanced weaponry. Though injured, he is expected to recover fully. This operation followed the successful rescue of another pilot the day before. Trump emphasized that these were the first separate rescues of U.S. pilots deep in enemy territory without any American casualties, highlighting the military’s air superiority.
Mick Ryan, senior fellow for military studies at the Lowy Institute and a retired Australian Army major general, told CNN that the rescue missions would have required coordination between the U.S. Air Force, Army Special Forces, and other units. “No one in the world could really pull this off like the U.S. military has,” he said.
Trump used the events to praise the armed forces and call for national unity. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND,” he wrote. “This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”
