Trump's Ultimatum to Iran: Open Strait of Hormuz Within 48 Hours

US President Donald Trump has stated that Iran has 48 hours to reach a nuclear agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic global energy trade route. “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday (4/4/2026). “Time is almost up — 48 hours before hell rains down on them,” he added. On 26 March, Trump announced he was extending the nuclear negotiation deadline to 10 days after Iran allowed 10 Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Escalation in the Middle East has intensified since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February 2026, killing more than 1,340 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader at the time, Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes on Israel as well as US military facilities in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries. Iran has also restricted ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route that carries around 20 percent of global oil supplies, potentially pressuring energy supplies and sparking worldwide oil price turbulence.