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As President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline ticks down, Tehran has responded to his threat to “obliterate” Iranian power plants with a threat of its own — and shown no signs of backing down. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have now declared that energy facilities in countries hosting US bases will be “lawful targets” if Trump follows through.
His administration’s messaging has been openly contradictory- talking de-escalation while deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region. Gas prices have risen 93 cents per gallon and US crude oil is up more than 70% since the start of the year.
For a president who came to power vowing to avoid “stupid” wars, the conflict he helped set in motion now risks slipping beyond his control. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened to destroy critical infrastructure across the region irreversibly. Now, with the clock running down, the question is whether Trump’s ultimatum will hold — or hand Tehran a win. The US attacked Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility again, even as Tehran had clearly warned against any strikes on its energy infrastructure. The economic pressure at home is real. In a paradox, the Trump administration has quietly begun easing restrictions on Iranian crude, allowing allies to buy the very oil that funds Tehran — the resource it is simultaneously trying to cut off.