Iran said it would target critical infrastructure if President Trump follows through on his weekend threat to "obliterate" the nation's power plants if Tehran didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days.
The escalating rhetoric set off alarm bells across the Middle East, with oil-exporting Gulf countries saying that Iranian reprisals could further endanger the world economy.
U.S. President Trump's threat came in a Saturday evening social-media post, warning that the United States would hit and obliterate Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz wasn't fully opened within 48 hours.
Tehran said it would respond in kind to any attack on its critical infrastructure, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posting on X that the U.S.'s threat raised issues under international law.
The Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the global oil supply typically flows, is a critical waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
Iran has previously said its foes are the U.S., Israel, and their allies, without naming them all, and that the transit of ships from those countries is banned.
President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran defined his country's policy more precisely on Sunday, saying that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate Iran's soil.
The regional threat level for shipping is at its highest "critical" level across the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center said on Sunday.
Countries that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are "coming together" to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.K. leading a multinational effort, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Sunday.
