U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Washington would strike Iran “twenty times harder” if Tehran attempted to halt oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
In a social media post, Trump said the United States would also target facilities he described as “easily destroyable”, warning that further escalation could bring “death, fire and fury” upon Iran.
The remarks came shortly after Trump suggested the conflict with Iran could end “very soon”, though he later said U.S. military operations would continue until the “enemy is totally and decisively defeated”.
Iran earlier claimed it had closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and warned that vessels attempting to pass through the waterway could be attacked. The narrow channel, which links the Gulf with the Arabian Sea, handles roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption.
Tehran has also signalled that the strait could remain shut following the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, according to reports.
The latest tensions stem from a conflict that began on Feb. 28 when Israel and the United States launched a joint military operation against Iran, saying the aim was to degrade Tehran’s capabilities. Iran responded with strikes on Israel, U.S. bases in the region and targets across parts of the Gulf.
In response to Trump’s comments suggesting the war could end soon, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran — not Washington — would decide how the conflict concludes. The group said the future balance of power in the region was now “in the hands of our armed forces”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also warned they would not allow “one litre of oil” to leave West Asia if attacks by the United States and Israel continued.
Oil markets showed signs of volatility amid the escalating rhetoric. Global benchmark Brent crude slipped to about $91.5 a barrel after Trump suggested the conflict was nearing completion. Prices had briefly climbed above $100 a barrel a day earlier, the highest level since mid-2022.
Meanwhile, the conflict has widened across the region. Rights group Human Rights Watch said Israeli forces used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over residential areas in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor on March 3, a practice the group said could violate international humanitarian law in populated areas.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes in the country have killed at least 486 people and wounded more than 1,300. Hundreds of thousands have also been displaced since fighting expanded after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel earlier this month.
The broader tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran stem largely from disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Israel says Iran is nearing the ability to build a nuclear weapon, a claim Tehran denies, insisting its programme is for civilian purposes.
The United States has repeatedly demanded that Iran curb its nuclear activities, warning of consequences if it does not comply.