Trump issues Hormuz ultimatum to Iran as missiles rock Israel (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

The US president has threatened to strike the Islamic Republic’s power plants unless the crucial waterway is reopened to navigation

US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike power plants in Iran unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened within 48 hours. Iran has kept the crucial waterway largely closed to vessels linked to the US and Israel since the outbreak of the war on February 28.

Trump issued the ultimatum after failing to secure broader NATO support for policing the strait. Previous US-Israeli strikes on Iranian naval assets have failed to restore navigation.

Tehran swiftly pushed back, warning it would retaliate against US and Israeli energy infrastructure if its own facilities were targeted. Iranian officials also said the strait remains open to shipping “not linked to Iran’s enemies.”

Earlier on Saturday, Iran struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring more than 180 people and damaging residential areas near sensitive military and nuclear-linked sites, according to local authorities. Iran says it has responded to an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.

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Here are the latest developments:

• UK Housing Secretary Steve Reed said Trump “speaks for himself” and added there was no intelligence indicating Iran was preparing to target Europe, as London has sought to distance itself from Washington’s 48-hour ultimatum and avoid being drawn deeper into the escalating conflict.
  
  
• The Hormuz disruption – affecting a route carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies – has pushed crude prices higher and heightened concerns over a prolonged global supply shock.
  
  
• Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have reported interceptions of missiles and drones linked to the conflict, while attacks near US-linked facilities in Iraq have underscored Iran’s expanding pressure campaign.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.