Donald Trump used a Sunday social media post to threaten Iran's power plants and bridges, posting the line, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!.” The trump press conference context now turns on whether that deadline holds, after Iranian officials mocked Trump's 20:00 ET target tied to the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's Sunday Deadline
Trump tied the threat to Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. The post did not name specific sites, but it pointed to energy and transport infrastructure as the stated targets if the deadline passed.
Iranian officials mocked the 20:00 ET deadline, which Trump framed as 01:00 BST Wednesday. A presidential aide described his remarks as “insults and nonsense” out of “sheer desperation and anger.”
Tehran And Karaj
The said it spoke with several Iranians opposed to the current establishment, while also noting that people inside Iran have been difficult to reach because authorities imposed an internet blackout more than five weeks ago. Their comments focused on what strikes could mean if power and water systems were hit.
Kasra, who lives in Tehran and is in his 20s, said he feared being left with “no water, no electricity, nothing” if infrastructure were hit. Mina, also in Tehran, said her mother was filling bottles with water, and added, “I've no idea what we're going to do now. I think more and more in Iran have realised that Trump doesn't care about them at all. I hate him from the bottom of my heart, and hate those who support him too.”
Iranian Retaliation Risk
Arman, who lives in Karaj and is in his 20s, said Iranian media reported 13 people were killed and almost 100 injured when a bridge under construction in Karaj was bombed on Thursday. He said, “They must have had good reasons for them [sites which have been hit]. But I swear, hitting a power station just paralyses the country. It just plays into the Islamic Republic's hands. I live about a kilometre away from the biggest power station in Karaj, and if they hit it, it'll be nothing but misery for me.”
Radin, who lives in Tehran and is in his 20s, said he was “OK with” energy infrastructure being hit if it brought down the Islamic Republic. Bahman, also in Tehran, said, “I think Trump is scared of what Iran is going to do. I'm sure that Iran will hit everywhere in the region in retaliation.”
The open question is whether Trump will follow through after his Sunday post and whether the Strait of Hormuz deadline remains in force. The available facts do not confirm any strike order, only the threat and the reaction it drew in Iran.
