Iran threatens Middle East infrastructure after Trump ultimatum; military warns to close Hormuz if US targets power plants
Iran has issued a stern warning, threatening to attack key Middle East infrastructure and completely close the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This comes as a direct response to US President Donald Trump's ultimatum to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the strait is not reopened swiftly, following missile strikes on Israel.
On March 22, 2026, Iran threatened to "irreversibly destroy" key US-linked energy, IT, and desalination infrastructure across the Middle East if US President Donald Trump followed through on his 48-hour ultimatum. Trump had posted on Truth Social that the US would "obliterate" Iran's power plants starting with the largest one first at 23:44 GMT on Monday unless the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened. The strategic shipping route was under Iran's de facto blockade as part of the ongoing US-Iran-Israel war that had entered its fourth week.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on X that such US actions would spike oil prices "for a long time," while Iran's military operational command specified US-owned regional facilities as "legitimate targets." This escalation came after Iran's energy minister reported heavy damage from US-Israeli strikes on dozens of Iranian water and power sites. The tit-for-tat threats represented a dangerous escalation in the conflict.
Recent Iranian missile strikes had hit two southern Israeli towns, including Dimona near a nuclear facility and Arad, injuring dozens and evading Israeli defenses. Iran linked these strikes to retaliation for attacks on its Natanz nuclear site. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to target Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders personally. US Central Command noted that bunker-busting strikes were degrading Iran's coastal facilities threatening Hormuz navigation, amid rising US troop deployments to the region.
The Manila Times reported on March 22 that Iran would help Japanese ships through the Hormuz Strait and that Israel had hit Tehran and Beirut, while Trump was considering ending the war. ABS-CBN News reported on March 4 that the US was offering escorts for tankers amid the Middle East crisis, affecting overseas Filipino workers in the region. The conflict had broader economic impacts, with the Philippine peso breaching 60 to the US dollar amid regional instability.
Cybersecurity experts warned of potential Iranian hacktivist shifts to critical infrastructure and US targets if escalation continued, though no major verified intrusions were reported yet. Iran's internet connectivity had dropped sharply since late February 2026, limiting cyber coordination. The situation highlighted growing threats to vital infrastructure like desalination plants in regional conflicts, with historical patterns showing such facilities increasingly vulnerable during Middle East tensions.
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