Less than 12 hours before the deadline President Donald Trump set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he announced he would postpone planned strikes on Iranian power plants. Trump described talks with Tehran as “very good and productive” and said the strikes would be delayed for five days. Iranian state-affiliated news agencies, however, denied any direct contact between the two governments.
Washington has been pressuring Tehran to lift what it calls an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments move. The disruptions left tankers stranded and pushed fuel prices higher; after Trump’s announcement, Brent crude fell by more than 8% to about $103 a barrel.
Trump issued the ultimatum on his Truth Social account, demanding Iran reopen the strait to commercial shipping within 48 hours or face U.S. attacks on its power infrastructure. He warned the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants, beginning with the largest installations.
Largest targets and nuclear concerns
Iran’s electricity system is dominated by natural gas-fired plants: the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates about 85% of Iran’s power comes from 98 gas stations. The Damavand power station near Pakdasht, roughly 50 kilometers southeast of Tehran, is the country’s largest single plant by capacity at about 2,868 megawatts (MW) and is estimated to supply a large share of Tehran’s electricity.
Other major facilities that could be targeted include the Ramin plant in the southwest, Shahid Salimi (Neka) on the Caspian coast, a Kerman-area plant in the southeast, and the Shahid Montazeri station in Isfahan, each with capacities in the roughly 1,600–2,400 MW range.
Some commentators suggested the Bushehr nuclear plant might be implied by Trump’s remarks. Bushehr’s gross capacity is about 1,000 MW—far smaller than Damavand—but the International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general warned that any strike on Bushehr would cross a critical safety threshold, risking core damage, radioactive releases, evacuations and marine contamination in the Persian Gulf.
Scale of damage required to blackout the country
Destroying a single large plant such as Damavand would not automatically produce a nationwide blackout. Iran’s total installed capacity is around 98,802 MW, so removing Damavand would eliminate roughly 3–4% of that capacity. Widespread outages would require coordinated strikes on multiple generation facilities and on transmission infrastructure—high-voltage lines, substations and transformers. A synchronized campaign against those elements could produce extended blackouts, crippling industry, communications, water supply and military operations and deepening internal instability in a country already strained by conflict and sanctions.
How Iran reacted
Iranian outlets cited unnamed sources denying direct talks with Washington and said Tehran’s posture had forced Trump to step back after warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). IRGC officials have threatened reciprocal strikes on energy infrastructure, information technology systems and desalination plants. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned of “irreversible destruction” to critical infrastructure and suggested financial entities holding U.S. Treasury bonds could be legitimate targets.
The IRGC indicated the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until any damaged Iranian power plants were rebuilt, a stance that would likely send global energy prices much higher. Iran’s Defense Council also warned it would deploy sea mines, including floating types, throughout the strait and the Persian Gulf.
Regional implications
So far, Gulf states directly affected by Iranian strikes have avoided full-scale reprisals, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar have warned they would respond decisively if their critical infrastructure—oilfields, refineries or desalination plants—were attacked again. Riyadh has signaled it is prepared to act if necessary. Further escalation could draw in U.S.-led coalition forces and risk a broader regional war. Since the conflict began on February 28, several Gulf states have been struck by Iranian missiles and drones, causing significant but contained damage to energy facilities and civilian infrastructure; the International Energy Agency reports more than 40 energy sites across nine countries have been severely or very severely damaged.
Edited by Srinivas Mazumdaru.