Trump issues Hormuz ultimatum, threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants

South China Morning Post ConflictNews ReportEN 1 min read 100% complete by ReutersMarch 22, 2026 at 01:32 AM

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Will force be used to reopen Strait of Hormuz?

AI Summary

short article 1 min

US President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, demanding the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iranian power plants if the demand was not met. The ultimatum followed reports from Israeli officials that Iran had launched long-range missiles for the first time, with one strike injuring dozens near Israel's nuclear site. According to the Israeli military, Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Israeli military stated that these missiles, while not targeting Israel, have the range to reach European capitals.

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Key Claims (4)

AI-Extracted

Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz isn't fully reopened in 48 hours.

quote — US President Donald Trump100% confidence

Iran launched two 4,000km range ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia.

factual — Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir90% confidence

Iranian forces fired long-range missiles for the first time.

factual — Israeli officials90% confidence

These missiles range reaches European capitals – Berlin, Paris and Rome.

factual — Zamir80% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Kingdom 30% Indian Ocean 40% Eyal Zamir 40% Middle East 50% Diego Garcia 50% Israeli ×360% United States of America ×280% Strait of Hormuz ×280% Donald Trump ×290% Iran ×790%

Keywords

iran 90% strait of hormuz 90% donald trump 80% power plants 70% military threat 70% long-range missiles 60% israeli military 50% diego garcia 40% us-uk military base 40%