President Donald Trump has warned that the US would 'obliterate' Iran’s power plants if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, prompting Iranian officials to threaten retaliatory strikes against US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets in the region.
A sharp escalation in the Middle East conflict has triggered major disruptions across the region’s energy industry, with QatarEnergy announcing a halt to LNG production, Saudi Aramco shutting its Ras Tanura refinery and the shipping almost coming to a halt in Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, has signalled that Tehran intends to continue using the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz as a key strategic lever in the ongoing conflict.
