Trump Demands Iran Reopen Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or Face Infrastructure Destruction

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new ultimatum to Iran on Sunday, April 5, 2026, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, April 7, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, threatening to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges if the deadline is not met. In a profanity-laden post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day" and warned that Iranians would be "living in hell" if the strait remains closed. The ultimatum came one day after U.S. forces completed what Trump described as "one of the most daring search and rescue operations in the history of the United States," extracting an injured aviator whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iranian territory on Friday, April 3. A second crew member of the aircraft had been rescued earlier. Trump said the aviator was injured but in stable condition. Iran showed no signs of backing down, and its forces attacked economic and infrastructure targets in neighboring Arab Gulf countries.

Iran threatens devastating retaliation against civilian strikes Iran's central military command responded to Trump's threats by warning of "much more devastating" retaliation if civilian targets on Iranian soil are struck. „If attacks against civilian targets are repeated, the next phases of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and extensive” — Iranian Central Military Command spokesperson via Deutsche Welle The statement was released on Telegram by the state network IRIB. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, posted a message in English on X directly addressing Trump, accusing him of following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's orders. „Your senseless actions are plunging the United States into a real hell for each and every family, and our entire region will burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's orders” — Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via Deutsche Welle Qalibaf added that Trump would "gain nothing from war crimes" and called for respect of Iranian rights as the "only real solution." Russia, described as an ally of Iran, also condemned Trump's threats and called on Washington to stop "the language of ultimatums" and return to negotiations, according to the office of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Iran demands reparations before reopening the strait Iran signaled it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz only under conditions that include financial compensation for war damages. Mahdi Tabatabaei, advisor to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, stated that cargo ships would return to the route once "all damages caused" during the war are compensated. „The strait will be reopened when all the damages caused by the war are compensated through a new legal regime in the Strait of Hormuz, with a portion of the income coming from transit fees” — Mahdi Tabatabaei via BBC A bill was presented to the Iranian Parliament seeking to establish fees for vessels wishing to cross the strait as a form of reparation. The head of the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, wrote on X that the strait would reopen "for those who comply with the new laws of Iran," not for Trump. The government of Oman said it was in contact with Iranian authorities to seek ways to guarantee the "fluidity of transit" through the strait, while the United Arab Emirates stated it was willing to join any U.S.-led operation to reopen the route, according to presidential advisor Anwar Gargash.

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28, 2026, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran. The conflict has entered its sixth week as of early April 2026. Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz restricted since the start of the war, using it as a primary point of leverage. The closure has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and dealt severe blows to global markets. The F-15E shot down on April 3 was the first U.S. aircraft to crash on Iranian territory since the war began.

20% (of global crude oil) — passes through the Strait of Hormuz daily

[{"dateISO": "2026-03-23", "date": "March 23, 2026", "title": "Five-day extension announced", "description": "Trump backed down from a planned attack on Iran's energy grid, granting a five-day extension citing diplomatic progress."}, {"dateISO": "2026-04-03", "date": "April 3, 2026", "title": "F-15E shot down over Iran", "description": "An F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iranian territory; one crew member rescued immediately, a second rescued the following day."}, {"dateISO": "2026-04-03", "date": "April 3, 2026", "title": "48-hour ultimatum issued", "description": "Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reach an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz."}, {"dateISO": "2026-04-05", "date": "April 5, 2026", "title": "Deadline extended to Tuesday", "description": "Trump extended the deadline by 24 hours to Tuesday, April 7, at 8:00 PM ET, threatening to destroy power plants and bridges."}, {"dateISO": "2026-04-07", "date": "April 7, 2026", "title": "Final deadline expires", "description": "Trump's ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is set to expire at 8:00 PM Eastern Time."}]

Trump's shifting deadlines draw skepticism at home and abroad Trump's pattern of issuing and then extending ultimatums has drawn skepticism from analysts and domestic critics alike. Security analyst Danny Citrinowicz stated that "the prospect of a negotiated agreement with Iran, at least under current conditions, is almost non-existent," according to Deutsche Welle. Trump himself complicated the picture by stating on Fox News that Iran was "close" to reaching a deal, introducing an element of potential negotiation into what he had framed as a hard deadline. Democratic leaders in the United States expressed indignation at Trump's language and approach, according to France 24. The war has already killed thousands of people, shaken global markets, cut key shipping routes, and sent fuel prices skyrocketing, according to the Associated Press. Iranian state television broadcast video on Sunday purporting to show parts of U.S. aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, and the station reported that Iran had shot down a U.S. transport plane and two helicopters involved in the rescue operation — claims the U.S. did not immediately confirm. Trump was scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday at 1:00 PM Washington time alongside military representatives to provide further details on the rescue mission and his plans for Iran in the coming days.