Washington, 10 March (H.S.): President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran amid the escalating conflict, warning that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would unleash American retaliation twenty times more devastating than prior strikes, rendering the nation’s reconstruction nearly impossible and leaving only fire in its wake.

Speaking late Monday from the Miami-area golf club during his first official press conference since the U.S.-Israel offensive began, Trump emphasized the strait’s critical role as the world’s premier oil transit chokepoint, through which 20-30% of global seaborne crude and liquefied natural gas flows daily.

Oil exports have nearly halted since hostilities erupted, driving prices to vertiginous heights; Trump declared on Truth Social that blockage would prompt strikes of unprecedented ferocity, though he expressed hope it would not come to pass.

He reiterated threats to intensify attacks should Iran obstruct the 39-kilometer-wide waterway separating Iran from Oman and the UAE, home to exports from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and others vital to the world economy.

Trump addressed a girls’ school bombing in Iran, awaiting final reports on Tomahawk missile origins – a weapon sold to multiple nations – while dismissing Saturday’s speculation that Tehran staged it itself.

Expressing disappointment over Mojtaba Khamenei’s ascension as Iran’s new leader, an internal matter he deemed, Trump forecasted the war’s end soon but not this week, touting over 5,000 U.S. precision strikes and the latent capacity to obliterate Iran’s power grid. Without American involvement, he asserted, Israel would have been finished; he cautioned Iran’s forces against impeding tankers, vowing a very big price.

Strategic Chokepoint’s Perilous Stakes

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, has long been a geopolitical flashpoint where U.S. and Iranian navies frequently shadow one another. For India, reliant on it for two-thirds of its oil imports, any disruption imperils energy security and could spike global prices catastrophically.

Trump affirmed pride in America’s stance, stating military operations have reached a pivotal stage toward their objectives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar