Iran International
Iranian state media continued issuing warnings against the United States even after President Donald Trump said Monday that the two countries had held “constructive” talks—and that he was therefore postponing planned strikes on Iran’s power grid.
Exchanging threats—sometimes several times a day—has become the dominant mode of communication between Tehran and Washington.
The IRGC-linked Fars News Agency denied that any contact had taken place between the two sides, while a senior commander escalated the rhetoric live on Iran’s state broadcaster.
“We will hit you so hard that your dentures will be knocked out of your mouth.”
Major General Abdollahi of the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters also vowed to deploy “a new secret weapon that will bring an end to the enemy’s operations.”
Over the past two days, following Trump’s threat to strike Iran’s power-generation infrastructure unless Tehran unconditionally opens the Strait of Hormuz, several Iranian commanders and officials have issued counter-threats.
The core message was captured in an IRGC statement quoted by Entekhab on March 23: “We will respond to any attack immediately and at the same level.”
Entekhab also cited an IRGC spokesperson elaborating on Tehran’s position: “They hit schools and hospitals, but we did not reciprocate. If they attack power plants, we will strike power plants in countries that host US bases.” That would include much of the Middle East.
In a March 22 post on X, Esmail Saghab Esfahani, Iran’s vice president for energy optimization and strategic management, responded to Trump’s ultimatum.
“The Strait of Hormuz game has put so much pressure on Trump that he has issued a 48-hour ultimatum—unaware that the next move, which is the destruction of the most important electricity and water infrastructure of the Zionist regime and the United States in the region, will put even more pressure on him,” he wrote.
Saghab Esfahani also suggested that residents of Israel and people in countries hosting Iran’s adversaries would be wise to store water and charge their phones during those 48 hours.
Nour News, an outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded with a mix of defiance and warning.
“Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s electrical infrastructure is an explicit admission of a war crime and a sign of desperation,” it said.
In the hours before Trump’s deadline, a different narrative was circulating among many Iranian social-media users—particularly within opposition circles.
Rather than targeting infrastructure that ultimately serves the Iranian public, they urged the United States and Israel to focus on dismantling the security apparatus that underpins the state’s repressive machinery.
The tension was heightened further by an IRGC statement announcing what it described as a shift in Iran’s military doctrine—from a defensive posture to an offensive one.
As for ordinary Iranians, many appear increasingly anxious about how attacks on infrastructure might affect their already strained daily lives.
In Tehran—unlike in US markets—there has been no calm after Trump’s announcements. The drums of war are growing louder.
Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday it opposed any blockade of the waterway but added that the situation should be viewed within a broader global context, according to Interfax.
China urged all sides to halt military activity and return to negotiations, warning that continued confrontation risks destabilizing the region.
“Should hostilities continue to escalate and the situation deteriorate further, the entire region will be plunged into chaos,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said. “The use of force will only lead to a vicious cycle.”
Disruptions shake energy markets
Recent limits on shipping through the strait have disrupted energy flows and driven oil prices higher, highlighting the route’s role as a conduit for roughly one-fifth of global crude and liquefied natural gas.
The disruption follows rising tensions that have curtailed maritime traffic and raised concerns among energy-importing countries over prolonged supply constraints.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would postpone planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after what he described as constructive talks with Tehran.
“Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The remark follows his earlier 48-hour ultimatum warning Iran to reopen the strait or face military action targeting its energy sector.
This comes weeks after large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and destroying military infrastructure.
Iran sets terms for access
Iran’s Defense Council said on Monday that passage through the strait would depend on coordination with Tehran for countries it described as non-belligerent.
“The only way to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for non-belligerent states is by coordinating passage with Iran,” the council said.
The statement warned that any attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure would draw a strong response and raised the possibility of mining maritime routes if Iranian territory were targeted.
Diplomatic push to keep waterway open
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said 22 countries were working together to ensure the strait remains open, reflecting growing international concern.
Earlier this month, China held discussions with Iran aimed at securing safe passage for oil and liquefied natural gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict intensified, according to three diplomatic sources talking to Reuters.
