Iran | Trump Threatens to Destroy Iran's Power Plants and Demands the Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

As the conflict between the United States and Iran enters its fourth week, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States will destroy Iran’s power plants.

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Last Friday (the 20th), he claimed that the U.S. was considering gradually ending military operations in the Middle East, but the next day, he suddenly changed his stance, setting a clear 48-hour deadline and threatening to strike Iran’s electrical infrastructure.

On Saturday (the 21st), Trump posted on social media demanding Iran fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from now, and not to make any threats. Otherwise, the U.S. will strike and destroy Iran’s major power plants, starting with the largest.

Iran currently has 98 operational natural gas power plants. According to industry and energy databases, Iran’s largest power plants include the Damavand Power Plant near Tehran, with a capacity of about 2,868 MW; followed by the Kerman Power Plant in southeastern Iran, with a capacity of 1,910 MW; and the Ramin Steam Power Plant, with a capacity of 1,890 MW.

The southern coastal city of Bushehr hosts the country’s only nuclear power plant, with a generation capacity of about 1,000 MW.

Unlike attacks on energy assets such as natural gas fields, a U.S. strike solely on Iran’s power sector is not expected to immediately impact global energy supplies. Bloomberg analysis suggests that Trump’s threat to target Iran’s largest power facilities likely refers to the Bushehr nuclear plant.

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On the 11th of this month, Trump briefly proposed the idea of destroying Iran’s electrical grid, but then downplayed the likelihood of such an action, saying, “We could destroy their (Iran’s) power facilities in an hour, and it would take them 25 years to rebuild. So, ideally, we wouldn’t do that.”

Iran’s Hatam Anbia military command warned on Sunday (the 22nd) that if the U.S. attacks Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure, Iran will target all U.S. energy, information technology, and seawater desalination facilities in the region.

Ali Mousavi, Iran’s representative to the International Maritime Organization, stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all ships, except those related to Iran’s enemies.

He said the Tehran government is prepared to cooperate with the IMO to improve maritime security and protect seafarers in the Gulf region. Ships not related to Iran’s enemies can coordinate safety arrangements with Tehran to pass through the strait.

Mousavi accused Israel and the U.S. of attacking Iran, which he said is the root cause of the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that diplomacy remains Iran’s top priority, but that ending aggression and building mutual trust are even more important.

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