Trump threatens to strike Iran’s power plants in 48 hours over the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour declaration on Iran on Saturday, warning the US that it will strike its energy plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

“If Iran DOES FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will strike and destroy THEIR ENERGY FACILITIES, STARTING MASSIVELY FIRST!” Trump said in a Social Truth post.

The president’s threat represents a major escalation in rhetoric as tensions mount over the vital waterway.

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil and gas bottleneck that supplies nearly a fifth of the world’s crude oil, has been severely restricted since early March, shortly after the war with Iran began.

US CONFIRMS READY TO EXPORT TANKS THROUGH HORMUZ AS TRAFFIC THINS BUT NO DOCUMENTS RELEASED

Trump’s post comes after he told reporters on Friday that reopening the strait is “an easy military option.”

“It’s relatively safe, but you need a lot of help in the sense that you need ships, you need capacity,” he said.

The president added that NATO did not have the “courage” to help the US by reopening the waterway.

TRUMP SAYS POINTED TO ‘TREATMENT’ IN KEY IRANIAN OIL STRIKES

The Callisto tanker remains anchored as traffic slows in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman. (Benoit Tessier / Reuters)

“NATO can help us, but so far they don’t have the courage to do that, and others can,” Trump said. “But you know, we don’t use it. You know, at some point, it will turn itself back on.”

Earlier on Friday, Trump ripped NATO on Truth Social as “cowards,” saying they “complain about the high oil prices they’re forced to pay, but they don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.”

A growing group of countries signed a joint statement indicating their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” of the road.

The joint statement said, “We express our readiness to contribute to the necessary efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” and, “We welcome the commitment of the nations involved in planning the preparations.”

This statement is said to be addressed to the leaders of more than 20 countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

“We strongly condemn Iran’s recent attacks on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement read.

NATO HEAVYWEIGHTS BALK AT HORMUZ MISSION AS TRUMP WARNS ALLIANCE OF DANGER

The satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which is important for the world’s energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to immediately stop its threats, mine laying, drone and missile attacks and other efforts to block the Strait for commercial shipping, and comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement continued.

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Earlier this week, the US military attacked Iran’s anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz with 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.