LIVE: New Trump-Iran Threats Heighten Energy Risks
The developments signaled the war was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week
By : AP
Update: 2026-03-23 02:01 GMT
President Donald Trump warned the U.S. will “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, prompting Tehran to say it would respond to any such strike with attacks on U.S. and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets.
Iranian missiles, meanwhile, struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel’s main nuclear research center.
The developments signaled the war was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week. Trump — who is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the strait as oil prices soar — issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend at his Florida home.
The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 U.S. military members, as well as a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
2026-03-23 03:06 GMT
Spanish PM Sánchez Calls for Opening of Strait of Hormuz
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Sanchez, in a post on X, said that further escalation of the war may create an energy crisis for all of humanity. In a post on X, he said, "The Government of Spain demands the opening of Hormuz and the preservation of all the energy sites of the Middle East. We stand at a global tipping point. Further escalation could trigger a long-term energy crisis for all humanity. The world should not pay the consequences of this war."
2026-03-23 03:06 GMT
Macron Urges Halt to Energy Facility Attacks
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday held talks with Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Macron reaffirmed France’s solidarity and its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s air defences amid repeated attacks involving Iranian missiles and drones.