Trump and Iran trade threats over Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump appeared to set a new ultimatum for Iran yesterday, writing on social media “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” The message came hours after he repeated his vow to bomb key Iranian infrastructure if the country did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat is the latest from the US leader since his country, alongside Israel, began striking Iran in late February.

Trump has repeatedly shifted his stated deadline for the reopening of the strait, a vital waterway that Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks, choking off around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply from global energy markets.

The president has also put pressure on European countries to commit resources to reopening the shipping lane.

Here’s a recap of Trump’s statements on the strait since the war began:

Trump’s initial threat was on March 21, when he said the US would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The next day, Iran’s representative to the UN maritime agency said the strait remained open to all except Iran’s “enemies.”
On March 23, shortly before Trump’s deadline was set to expire, the president said his country and Iran had held “productive conversations” over the previous two days and that he would hold off on striking energy sites for five days.
On March 26, Trump added an extra ten days to the deadline, saying Iran had asked for more time, making his new cut-off date April 6.
On April 1, Trump said Tehran had asked the US for a ceasefire, adding he would only consider this after Iran had reopened the Strait of Hormuz. A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry denied this claim.
Two days later, Trump suggested the US could “easily” reopen the strait if it had “a little more time.”
On April 4, Trump told Iran’s leaders that “time is running out” to reopen the waterway. “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them,” he wrote on social media.
CNN’s Betsy Klein, Kit Maher, Alejandra Jaramillo, Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg, Aileen Graef, Sophie Tanno, Adam Pourahmadi and Julia Benbrook contributed to this reporting.