US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to “destroy” Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a major escalation that came just a day after he talked about “ending” the war.
“If Iran does not FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact time, the US will strike and destroy their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE!” Trump said on social media.
The threat landed as the conflict entered a dangerous new territory.
Israeli officials said Iran’s forces had for the first time fired long-range missiles, raising the risk of further attacks in the Middle East, even as the Iranian attack wounded dozens of people near Israel’s nuclear site.
Iran fired two missiles with a range of 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) at the US-British Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli army has said that this is the first time Iran has used long-range missiles since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.
“These missiles are not intended to attack Israel. Their range reaches the capitals of Europe – Berlin, Paris and Rome are all in the zone of direct threats,” Zamir said in a statement.
