Trump Threatens to Bomb Iranian Power Plants and Bridges Over Strait of Hormuz Blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark threat on Easter Sunday to begin bombing Iran's power plants and bridges starting Tuesday, April 7, unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Trump posted the ultimatum on Truth Social shortly after 8 a.m., writing: „Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell -- JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah.” — Donald Trump via The New York Times The threat came hours after U.S. special forces successfully recovered a second American airman who had been missing in Iran since Friday, when an F-15 fighter jet carrying two crew members was shot down over Iranian territory. Trump described the rescued weapon systems officer as „severely wounded and truly brave.” — Donald Trump via stern.de The president also announced a press conference with U.S. military representatives in the Oval Office scheduled for Monday, April 6, at 1:00 p.m. local time.

Rescued airman found alive after race with Iranian forces The recovery of the second airman marked a significant development in a tense weekend that had seen both the United States and Iran scramble to locate the downed crew. One pilot was rescued shortly after the F-15 was shot down on Friday; the second, a weapon systems officer, was recovered alive by U.S. special forces during the night leading into Sunday. Trump had initially described the second airman as "injured" but "doing well" before updating his characterization to "severely wounded" in his Sunday morning posts. The successful rescue appeared to embolden Trump, according to reporting by The New York Times, which noted that the president moved from a posture of celebration directly into an escalatory threat against Iranian civilian infrastructure. The F-15 shootdown represented one of the more dramatic single incidents since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Since those initial strikes, Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, several Gulf states, and U.S. facilities in the region, according to stern.de.

Strait closure gives Iran its most powerful remaining lever The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as Iran's most consequential surviving strategic asset following the degradation of its navy, air force, and much of its missile arsenal. Iran has been restricting passage through the strait and charging 2 (million USD) — toll per ship Iran charges for Hormuz passage to the few vessels it permits through. The Strait of Hormuz is approximately 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It carries roughly 20 percent of the global oil supply and is also a critical transit route for fertilizer and helium, the latter being essential to semiconductor manufacturing. The waterway is bordered by Iran to the north and by the Musandam Peninsula, shared between the UAE and Oman, to the south. Trump has oscillated in recent days between arguing the strait is not Washington's concern because the United States purchases little of the oil flowing through it, and threatening severe consequences if Iran continues to restrict access. The president has called on European nations, China, and India — all heavily dependent on oil transiting the strait — to join an international coalition to keep it open, but none of those countries were consulted before the decision to attack Iran and none have yet agreed to participate, according to The New York Times. Trump is also reportedly considering a ground operation to seize the Iranian shoreline of the strait, a complex undertaking that could require holding portions of the Persian Gulf coast. Iran retains the capacity to harass shipping through mines and speedboats equipped with shoulder-fired missiles, which could deter commercial shippers from attempting transit even if a military corridor were established.

Legal questions mount over targeting civilian power and bridges Trump's threat to strike power plants and bridges drew immediate attention to the legal constraints governing such attacks. Under the Geneva Conventions, striking power plants and bridges used primarily by civilians is prohibited, as they are not classified as legitimate military targets. Administration officials have begun constructing a legal argument that such strikes would not constitute war crimes on the grounds that Iranian power infrastructure is also integral to the country's missile and nuclear programs, according to The New York Times. The newspaper noted that this rationale could theoretically be extended to nearly any piece of civilian infrastructure, including water supplies. The threat arrives at a moment when Trump's posture toward the conflict has been described as emboldened by the airman's rescue, with the president using language on Easter Sunday that was notably more aggressive than his statements earlier in the week. 20 (percent) — share of global oil supply transiting the Strait of Hormuz">share of global oil supply transiting the Strait of Hormuz The Monday press conference with military officials in the Oval Office was expected to provide further clarity on the administration's intentions ahead of the Tuesday deadline Trump set for Iran.