Trump Targets Iran Infrastructure with 48-Hour Ultimatum to Open Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump has escalated the U.S. military or economic campaign against Iran, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The President warned that failure to comply would result in the U.S. "obliterating" Iranian power generation infrastructure, starting with the country's largest plants. This demand comes as U.S. forces under Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion entered their fourth week, recently conducting direct strikes on the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. While President Trump has publicly suggested the conflict is "winding down," military activity continues to intensify. The Pentagon has reportedly made preparations for the deployment of ground forces, and three additional warships carrying 2,500 Marines have been dispatched to the region, joining a total force of approximately 50,000 personnel. In response to the U.S. strikes on Natanz, Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks on southern Israel near the Dimona nuclear facility, causing at least 100 casualties. The international community has begun consolidating around the U.S. position, with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada issuing a joint statement supporting the push to reopen the Strait. Iran maintains that its maritime restrictions are a defensive response to U.S. and Israeli aggression and has threatened to target American and Israeli energy infrastructure if its own power plants are attacked.