Straight Dive! Trump Issues Threat to Iran: Open Strait of Hormuz Within 48 Hours!

The Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of market attention!

This morning, a major news broke about the Strait of Hormuz: U.S. President Trump demanded Iran open the strait within 48 hours, or the U.S. will strike and destroy all of Iran’s power plants.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market plummeted sharply, with Bitcoin dropping over 3% and falling below $68,300. Ethereum declined nearly 5%, approaching $2,050. According to CoinGlass, within one hour, crypto contracts across the network were liquidated for $247 million, with over 90% being long positions. In 24 hours, a total of 78,700 traders worldwide were liquidated.

On Iran’s side, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement on the 22nd, announcing successful strikes against multiple cities in southern Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East during the 73rd wave of “Real Commitment-4” operations.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated on the 21st that only if the U.S. and Israel immediately cease their aggression and guarantee that such acts will not happen again can the region’s wars and conflicts be ended.

Trump Demands Iran Open the Strait of Hormuz

According to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. President Trump issued a threat to Iran on the 21st, demanding Iran open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, or the U.S. will destroy all of Iran’s power plants.

Trump said on social media: “If Iran fails to fully open the Strait of Hormuz without threats within 48 hours from now, the U.S. will strike and destroy Iran’s various power plants, starting with the largest one!”

Early morning on the 22nd local time, Iran’s Central Command of the Armed Forces, Hatham Anbia, warned that based on previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure are attacked, the U.S. and its allies’ energy infrastructure, IT systems, and seawater desalination facilities in the region will become targets.

Additionally, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency on the 21st quoted military sources saying that if the U.S. launches a “military invasion” of Halek Island, Iran will face an “unprecedented counterattack” since the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran.

Sources also indicated that creating instability in the Strait of Mand and the Red Sea is “one of the options the Resistance Front may take,” and the situation for the U.S. would become much more complicated than now.

Halek Island is a strategic island off Iran’s coast, hosting a port responsible for most of Iran’s oil exports. Previously, Axios reported that the Trump administration was considering occupying or blockading Iran’s oil export hub, Halek Island, to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran Strikes Multiple U.S. and Israeli Military Facilities

According to CCTV News, early morning on the 22nd, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying that during the 73rd wave of “Real Commitment-4” operations, Iran used missiles and drones to strike multiple locations in Israel.

Iran claimed to have targeted cities in southern Israel including Arad, Dimona, Eilat, Beersheba, and Kiryat Gat, hitting some military facilities and security centers.

Additionally, Iran used “Fateh,” “Qader,” and “Emad” missiles, along with drones, to strike U.S. military bases at Ali Salim Air Base in Kuwait, Minhad Air Base in the UAE, and Zafar Air Base.

Earlier, the IRGC announced the launch of the 72nd wave of “Real Commitment-4,” targeting Israeli and U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet targets. The statement said Iran’s IRGC used multiple missile types, including “Qader” and “Emad,” to hit targets in northern and central Israel as well as the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

The statement declared the operation successful. It also emphasized that Iran’s upgraded homeland defense systems will achieve more results in the future and warned against underestimating Iran’s defensive capabilities.

On the night of the 21st, Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad were hit by missiles. Local emergency services reported over 100 injuries and hospitalizations. Israeli officials admitted that the military failed to intercept the Iranian missiles.

The Israeli rescue organization “Red David Shield” reported that Iranian ballistic missiles hit Arad, causing 64 injuries, including 7 serious cases, with some people trapped. Rescue helicopters and ambulances have been dispatched to the scene. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have sent search and rescue teams.

About two hours before the attack on Arad, Dimona, a southern city, was also hit by missiles, injuring 47 people, including one seriously. Dimona is located in the Negev Desert and hosts a sensitive Israeli nuclear facility nearby.

According to Israeli sources, the IDF is investigating why the missiles were not intercepted, stating that these two missiles “are not new types and have been launched at Israel before.”

Iranian President: Only U.S. and Israel Ceasing Aggression Can End the War

Xinhua News Agency quoted the Iranian IRNA on the 21st, reporting that Iranian President Raisi spoke with Indian Prime Minister Modi via phone, stating that only if the U.S. and Israel immediately stop their aggression and guarantee that such acts will not recur can the region’s wars and conflicts be ended.

Raisi said during the call that Iran did not provoke the war. The U.S. and Israel launched military aggression against Iran during nuclear negotiations without any reason, logic, or legal basis, resulting in the deaths of Iran’s top leaders, senior military commanders, and many civilians.

He refuted the U.S. excuse of “preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” stating Iran has repeatedly emphasized its willingness to accept inspections and supervision of peaceful nuclear activities.

He also said that to achieve peace and stability in West Asia, a security architecture composed of regional countries should be established, allowing the region to ensure peace and security independently, without foreign interference.

The IRNA also reported that Modi expressed deep concern over regional tensions and escalating conflicts, strongly condemning attacks on regional energy infrastructure, considering them a serious threat to global food and energy security. He called for all parties to maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz and the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.

The report said Modi emphasized that war is not in anyone’s interest, and all parties should quickly turn to the path of peace.