World Anxiously Awaits: When Will Trump's 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran Expire?

US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum or threat to Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. According to Reuters on Monday (23/3/2026), Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz for shipping traffic or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure, by targeting power generation centres in Iran. The deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is 23 March 2026 at 03:14 local time (Tehran) or 24 March 2026 at 06:14 WIB in the morning. “If Iran does NOT FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREATS, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 HOURS from now, the United States will attack and destroy various power plants of theirs. STARTING WITH THE LARGEST FIRST!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, quoted on Monday (23/3/2026). Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on 28 February, Iran has effectively closed the strait in retaliation. Around one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait, and the closure has prompted dependent countries to seek alternative routes and utilise reserves. The disruption of supplies from the Gulf has caused fuel prices to soar globally, threatening governments with widespread inflation the longer the war continues. Iran disregards Trump’s threats. After Trump issued the ultimatum to destroy Iran’s power generation centres, Iran’s military instead showed no fear and vowed to strike back. Iran will target power generation centres and factories supplying weapons in Israel if US President Donald Trump still plans to eliminate Iran’s electricity network. “Lies … United States. The President has claimed that the Revolutionary Guard intends to attack water desalination plants and cause difficulties for people in the region. We are determined to respond to any threat at the same level it creates in terms of deterrence. If you cut off electricity, we will retaliate in kind,” said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, quoted from Reuters on Monday (23/3/2026).