Trump threatens Iran infrastructure, demands Strait open

President Trump, communicating via Truth Social and interviews with Fox News' Trey Yingst and Axios, warned Iran of impending strikes on its infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if the critical Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. This follows a brief pause on strikes against Iranian energy facilities, which was extended to April 6.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital chokepoint through which over a fifth of the world's seaborne oil flows annually. Trump also claimed Iran killed 45,000 demonstrators and that the US attempted to funnel weapons to protesters.

Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading negotiations, with Trump indicating a "good chance" for a deal but also threatening to "blow everything up" if an agreement is not reached by the Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline.

The US, as the world's largest oil exporter, receives only about 2% of its petroleum liquids through the Strait, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Tensions escalated after Iran claimed to shoot down an F-15E fighter jet, prompting US rescue operations.