Iran Rejects Trump’s 48-Hour Ultimatum, Threatens to “Completely Close” Strait of Hormuz and Inflict “Irreversible  Damage” to Arab States

Go to Article

Iran responded with new threats following President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. President Trump, on Saturday, vowed to “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants, “starting with the biggest one first,” if the regime did not “fully open” the strait by late Monday night.

The Islamic Guard (IRGC), the regime’s military arm, which practically owns the Iranian energy sector, threatened to close the world’s busiest oil chokepoint “completely” if the U.S. president followed through on his ultimatum. Since the conflict began three weeks ago, Iran has nearly closed the waterway, cutting it down to just 5 percent of its pre-war volume.

“In a statement broadcast by Iranian media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it will “completely close” the Strait of Hormuz if the US targets Iranian energy infrastructure,” the BBC reported.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, upped the ante, threatening neighbouring Arab countries with “irreversible damage.” He declared that “the critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and oil facilities throughout the region will be considered legitimate targets and will be destroyed in an irreversible manner.”

Iran continues attacks on civilian, commercial targets across the Middle East

Reports from the region suggest Iran is already executing those threats, firing missiles at Arab oil infrastructure and Israeli cities. “Iran fired three ballistic missiles toward Riyadh early Sunday as it continued its daily attacks on Gulf states,” the Saudi daily Arab News reported. “Eleven drones were also launched toward the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, all of which were intercepted and destroyed.”

Sirens were sounded throughout the weekend across Israel, as several Iranian ballistic missiles breached the country’s airspace. Nearly 160 people were injured, 11 of them seriously, when an Iranian missile hit a residential area in the southern Israeli city of Dimona.

Missile strikes and falling debris were reported in several locations. “Some 200  [were] wounded in direct hits on southern Israeli cities on Saturday,” the Jerusalem Post noted.

Heavy missile barrage from Iran, in coordination with Lebanese Hezbollah, continued for the second day. “Missile fire from Iran continued Sunday, with seven launches reported since morning at different times toward Israeli cities,” Israel’s Ynetnews reported. “Five were aimed at central Israel, one at Eilat, and one toward the Be’er Sheva area.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is undertaking counter-measures, hitting an “Iranian military base used for training soldiers and storing missile systems intended to target aircraft.”

According to the IDF on Sunday, its fighter jets also struck a “weapons production and storage facility of the Ministry of Defense” and a “weapons production site of the IRGC’s Air Force.”

IDF eliminates commander of Hezbollah-Radwan Special Forces

With Hezbollah trying to open a second front on Israel’s northern border, the IDF, on Saturday, eliminated the head of its Iranian-trained Radwan Special Forces.

“[T]he Israeli Air Force struck and killed the terrorist Abu Khalil Barji, Commander of the Special Forces in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, along with two other terrorists in the area of Majdal Selm in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced. “Barji had served for years as a commander in the Radwan Force and recently commanded its special forces, which were responsible, among other roles, for attacking IDF troops. Alongside Barji, two additional Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated.”

Before the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, the Radwan Forces had been planning a similar terrorist incursion into northern Israel, called the plan to “Conquer the Galilee.” In October 2024, the IDF uncovered the secret attack plan during its ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

The post Iran Rejects Trump’s 48-Hour Ultimatum, Threatens to “Completely Close” Strait of Hormuz and Inflict “Irreversible  Damage” to Arab States first appeared on Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.

[H/T Legal Insurrection]



Comment on this Article Via Your Disqus Account