President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, warning the U.S. would strike its power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The president’s threat represents a notable escalation in rhetoric as tensions surge over the strategically vital waterway.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a global choke point for oil and gas transport that supplies roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, has been largely limited since early March, shortly after the war with Iran began.
The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman.(Benoit Tessier / Reuters)
“NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so, and others could help us,” Trump said. “But, you know, we don’t use it. You know, at a certain point, it’ll reopen itself.”
Earlier Friday, Trump ripped NATO on Truth Social as “cowards,” saying they “complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.”
A growing group of countries has signed onto a joint statement signaling their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the strait.
The joint statement said, “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” and, “We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”
The statement was attributed to leaders from more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
“We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement reads.
A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply.(Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement continued.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces struck Iran’s anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz with 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia is becoming more frightening day by day. On the front that is burning due to the fierce attacks by America and Israel, Iran is also strongly retaliating against the American military bases present in Israel and the Gulf countries. Amidst the roar of missiles and drones, the conflict has now entered its 23rd day and tension is at its peak across the region. Amidst this raging situation, once again Trump’s big statement has come out. This time Trump expressed strong anger at a political analyst on Sunday.
This entire controversy can be understood in such a way that recently a political analyst David Sanger and media reports claimed that Trump has not been able to achieve his goals in the matter of Iran. On this, Trump said in a post on the social media platform Truth Social that America has completely weakened Iran.
Iran’s leadership is finished – Trump
Trump claimed that Iran’s leadership has ended, its navy and air force have been almost destroyed and now it has no strong defense system left. In his post, Trump also claimed that Iran now wants to negotiate, but he himself is not willing to make any agreement. He said that America is achieving its goals ahead of schedule.
What do the media reports say? understand this
However, on the contrary, a report in The New York Times says that even though Trump is claiming progress, his goals have been changing from time to time. According to the report, America’s initial objective was to bring about regime change in Tehran and completely end Iran’s nuclear program. Not only this, the report also said that the price of petrol in America has reached around $4 per gallon and the US Defense Department (Pentagon) has demanded $200 billion to replenish its weapons.
However, in recent statements, Trump appeared to be retreating a bit from his earlier big goals. Now his focus is more on weakening Iran’s military power and protecting its allies in West Asia, such as Israel, UAE and Qatar. Trump also said that America is very close to achieving its objectives. He also said that the responsibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz should be left to other countries, although America will help if needed.
US action against Iran will end soon: Trump
Along with this, he once again claimed that Iran wants to reach a compromise, but Iranian officials have refused talks after the February 28 attacks. Furthermore, Trump also indicated that the US may soon end its military action in Iran. He mentioned his five main goals, which include destroying Iran’s military power, preventing it from developing nuclear weapons and ensuring the security of its allies in West Asia.
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A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a Loyola University Chicago student shot near campus Thursday by a masked gunman, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The Tribune said it had obtained the arrest report and was not naming the suspect, who sources tell Fox News is a migrant from Venezuela.
Sheridan Gorman, 18, of Westchester County, New York, was gunned down while taking a walk with friends shortly after 1:30 a.m. Thursday along Chicago’s lakefront.
Sheridan Gorman smiles alongside the Chicago skyline in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
The gunman allegedly approached the group, pulled out a gun, and opened fire — striking Gorman in the head, according to the Chicago Police Department. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University Chicago student who was fatally shot near campus, is shown alongside the school’s Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.(Alyssa Schukar for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
In a letter sent to students Thursday, Loyola University Chicago President Mark C. Reed confirmed Gorman’s death while addressing the campus community.
“It is with profound sadness that I write to share that one of our students, Sheridan Gorman, was killed earlier today,” Reed said. “This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her.”
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
The war which was started by Israel-America against Iran on February 28, has now completed three weeks. According to American officials, they hoped that this conflict would be ended in the shortest possible time by achieving all the goals. However, the way Iran retaliated against Israel and American military bases in West Asia, it became clear that America’s expectations were not based on the ground reality. In such a situation, when US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his focus is now on ending this war, it became quite clear that the Iran war may continue for a few more days and America can take some decisive steps to end the conflict.
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In such a situation, it is important to know what major developments have taken place so far in the Iran war? What and what kind of impact have these developments had on the world? What has been the impact on America of getting involved in the conflict in West Asia, far from its region? What could be the further strategy of both the sides? What differences emerged between the goals of America and Israel? Let us know…
Most of March Madness seemed to lacking big upsets in the early going, but the tournament has its first Cinderella.
The 11th-seeded Texas Longhorns pulled off a huge upset against No. 3 Gonzaga with a 74-68 win to move on to the Sweet 16.
Gonzaga led by as many as eight points, going up 28-20 with 4:29 left in the first half, but the Longhorns ended the half on a 15-5 run to lead by two going into the locker room.
Texas Longhorns forward Cole Bott celebrates with teammates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a second-round game during the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. (Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images)
Both teams constantly exchanged buckets and leads in the second half, and neither team led by more than four until Texas got out to its largest lead of six with a big 3-pointer with 5:30 to go in the game.
And an upset alert was officially on.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to two with three minutes to go, but Texas answered with a massive three to go back up five. Then, up 69-66, Texas missed two 3-pointers that went in and out, and a Gonzaga dunk with around 40 seconds left made it a one-point game.
The Longhorns’ Camden Heide made the shot of his life with a corner 3-pointer with 14.7 seconds left. After Gonzaga missed a shot on the other end, Matas Vokietaitis made a layup to ice the win.
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12), guard Jordan Pope (0) and forward Nic Codie (10) react after a play in the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a second-round game in the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center.(Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images)
The Longhorns went 5-for-15 from three but hit three of their final five, showing up in the clutch. Gonzaga was 4-for-16 from deep.
Vokietaitis and Jordan Pope led the way with 17 points each, and Vokietaitis grabbed nine rebounds. Graham Ike scored 25 for Gonzaga.
This is just the second time Texas has made the Sweet 16 since 2008, also doing so in 2023. As for Gonzaga, it’s back-to-back seasons of second-round exits.
Nic Codie of the Texas Longhorns reacts against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of a second-round game in the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center March 21, 2026, in Portland, Ore.(C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Tehran responds to Trump’s threat by saying all US energy infrastructure in the region will be targeted if Iran is attacked.
Published On 22 Mar 202622 Mar 2026
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if freedom of navigation is not fully restored at the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a dramatic escalation as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues for a fourth week.
The statement on Saturday came as Trump faces increasing pressure to secure the vital waterway that Iran has promised to keep closed to “enemy ships”, leading to soaring oil prices and plunging stock markets.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” Trump, who is in his Florida home for the weekend, wrote on Truth Social at 23:44 GMT.
He did not specify which plant he was referring to as the biggest.
Following Trump’s threat, the Iranian army said it would target all energy infrastructure belonging to the US in the region if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure were attacked.
Trump’s escalatory comments came barely a day after he talked about “winding down” the war that he launched alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28, when the US and Iran were engaged in nuclear negotiations.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump said the US was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East”.
Key waterway
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through during peacetime, has virtually ground to a halt since the early days of the war.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all except the US and its allies, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi saying last week that he had been “approached by a number of countries” seeking safe passage for their vessels.
“This is up to our military to decide,” he told the US television network CBS, adding that a group of ships from “different countries” had been allowed to pass, without providing details.
The head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, asserted on Saturday that Iran’s ability to attack vessels on the strait had been “degraded” after US fighter jets dropped 5,000-pound (about 2,300kg) bombs on an underground Iranian coastal facility storing antiship cruise missiles and mobile launchers earlier this week.
The strike also destroyed “intelligence support sites and missile radar relays” used to monitor ship movements, Cooper said.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo said there seemed to be a “gap between what the White House appears to want in the Strait of Hormuz and what the US military says they have already accomplished”.
“It is interesting, to say at the very least, to hear Trump talking about a major escalation, given the fact that we’ve been hearing throughout the course of the day how much damage the US has done, supposedly, to Iran’s ability to target oil tankers and vessels navigating through the strait.”
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The Yemeni armed group says all options are on the table.
As the US-Israeli war against Iran drags on, Yemen’s Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, have stayed out of the conflict.
But that could change. They have said they consider themselves directly concerned and could take a position alongside Iran.
The armed group has attacked Israel and shipping in the Red Sea in recent years. If a new front opens up, global trade could be further disrupted in another maritime gateway. Shipping is already largely halted in the Strait of Hormuz, causing significant losses worldwide.
So, will the Houthis join the war? And what difference could that make for this volatile region?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Farea al-Muslimi – research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House
Khaled Batarfi – political analyst who specialises in Saudi Arabian foreign policy
Rockford Weitz – director of the Fletcher Maritime Studies programme at Tufts University
In a dimly lit room in Manchester, a social media investigator is showing me just how easy it is to buy ketamine online.
He is one of two officers at Greater Manchester Police who have been specially trained to find the platforms, forums and sites being used by criminals to sell drugs.
“It’s effectively run like a legitimate business in the way that Amazon sells legitimate items,” he says.
“The platforms that are being used, it’s Snapchat and Telegram, we see a lot of stuff on WhatsApp, basically in an attempt to avoid traditional policing tactics.”
What the social media investigator describes is a game of cat and mouse, driven by a Class B drug that is being taken in record numbers.
Image:Police say ketamine is presenting officers with unique challenges
“It’s basically trying to catch up with criminals. If you put it in terms of cars, criminals are driving around in sports cars and things like that,” he says.
“Police are driving round in Fiestas and Astras, and this is exactly the same thing. But we only have to be lucky one day, they have to be lucky every day.”
Against the backdrop of increasing media coverage and greater public awareness of ketamine, the popular party drug is now firmly in the sights of police forces across the country, including GMP.
Detective Superintendent Joseph Harrop, who leads the force’s serious organised crime division, says ketamine is presenting officers with unique challenges.
Why is Ketamine still a Class B drug?
“I think one of the issues is that it’s readily available and it’s really cheap, which is why I think it’s attractive to children and young people,” he says.
“There is a worrying trend that younger and younger children are using it. We’ve got children as young as 10, either with ketamine or involved in the supply of ketamine.”
DSI Harrop says another way organised crime groups are making a profit from ketamine is by exporting the drug to countries where it is more tightly regulated or less easily available.
He says GMP seized 50kg of ketamine in the financial year before last, a figure he believes increased substantially in 2025, because his officers made the substance more of a priority.
Manchester’s ketamine crisis
In his words, ketamine seizures went up “exponentially”, while there was also a “massive rise” in the amount of intelligence the force has collected on the drug.
“One of the big challenges is because you’ve not got that traditional street supply,” he adds.
“So that does impact on some of our intelligence streams. It is all online, so there’s a sense of anonymity, and you’ve kind of got to get behind another layer before you can see who’s truly involved, but we’ve adapted to that.”
Online menus and faceless transactions
The social media investigator I spoke to is a core part of GMP’s attempts to adapt to the challenges ketamine poses.
He spends time trying to trace the online stores being set up on social media by drug dealers. The criminals curate menus, ask for reviews and even offer people perks, like free sweets being delivered along with their drugs.
Image:Online gangs curate drugs menus and ask for reviews
Ketamine, he says, is often sold alongside other popular party drugs like cocaine and MDMA, in varying strengths and quantities. The purchases are often made using what he calls “faceless” transactions involving cryptocurrency, while the drugs are often delivered in the post, rather than by a courier.
Once the investigator tracks down an account, he flags their content, in the hope that the tech giants who own the platforms will act quickly.
“Some companies are brilliant,” he says. “Within 24 hours they’ll get back to me and go, you know what? We agree and they’ll remove that account.
“Other companies, if they don’t see that perceived risk or that account as being a problem, they’ll just say, ‘thanks, but we’ll leave it’. They will let that account continue.”
If there is enough evidence, information found online can lead to warrants being carried out on the ground.
During a nationwide county lines week of action, I joined GMP officers on a dawn raid in Salford.
The operation targeted a county line involving the supply and distribution of popular party drugs like ketamine, cannabis, cocaine and MDMA.
Once officers had stormed a flat, they made two arrests, leading a pair of men into a van that was waiting outside.
The officer in charge of the warrant on the day said party drugs are an increasing issue in the area, which is popular among young professionals and students.
“There are multiple people that are known to us, continuously supplying drugs. We’re working hard to disrupt this criminality, executing lots of warrants and getting these guys inside and remanded,” he said.
“So with ketamine, it’s a drug well-used by students, so the younger target market here is rife.”
Image:The supply of ketamine and other party drugs is hard to stop, detectives say
‘You can’t arrest your way out of people using drugs’
The drugs being seized aren’t just leading to convictions and custodial sentences. In another element of GMP’s drugs strategy, there is a focus on not just enforcement but harm reduction too.
GMP works closely with Manchester Drug Analysis and Knowledge Exchange (Mandrake), England’s first publicly-funded permanent, city-centre based testing and harm reduction facility.
The samples seized by officers on the raids are sent to the Mandrake testing facility at Manchester Metropolitan University so the team there can check exactly what’s in circulation on the illegal drugs market.
That information is then shared with the police, council and health bodies, so they can issue public warnings.
Dr Oliver Sutcliffe, who leads the team at the facility, says that of the 600-700 samples they received for testing in the last 12 months, ketamine is “about the second or third” most seized sample.
Image:GMP works closely with Manchester Drug Analysis and Knowledge Exchange (Mandrake)
In the week we filmed with Dr Sutcliffe, Mandrake issued a public health warning about ketamine being contaminated with medetomidine, a high-strength sedative used by vets on large animals.
Dr Sutcliffe showed me three samples of ketamine that all look the same, but were actually of different purities. One of them contained medetomidine.
“It’s an anaesthetic and if you combine that with another aesthetic, then what you get is a synergistic effect. So that enhances the sedation,” he said.
“And that potentially might put you in positions where if you’re more sedated, you might have an accident.”
Image:Mandrake issued a public health warning about ketamine being contaminated with medetomidine
Pointing to the three samples, he said: “If you just visually look at the crystals, they are exactly the same, so from a user’s point of view, you would not necessarily be able to tell the difference.”
The route a sample takes from a crime scene to Dr Sutcliffe’s lab is perhaps the biggest example of how the police are being forced to change course with a drug like ketamine, which is now so commonplace.
DSI Harrop explained how GMP is trying to police the drug differently.
He said: “There was a near-fatal overdose yesterday, where some powder was recovered. The people with the individual who is currently in hospital have suggested she may have taken ketamine.
“We found some powder, but rather than look to do any kind of prosecution, which I think to some extent is fairly futile, I spoke to the Manchester Met (Manchester Metropolitan University) panel last night and they’re going to test those for us.”
“You can’t arrest your way out of people using drugs,” he added.
