{"id":359177,"date":"2026-03-22T10:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T10:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/359177\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T10:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T10:50:10","slug":"trump-gives-iran-48-hour-ultimatum-to-open-strait-of-hormuz-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/359177\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump gives Iran 48-hour ultimatum to open strait of Hormuz \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main pointsUS president Donald Trump<\/a> has threatened to \u201cobliterate\u201d Iran\u2019s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iranian barrages tore through southern Israel on Saturday, leaving around 100 people wounded across Dimona and Arad.Key reads<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 2 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Projectile hits vessel off UAE\u2019s Sharjah, UKMTO says<\/p>\n

An unknown projectile struck a vessel 15 \u200bnautical miles north \u2060of the United \u200cArab \u200cEmirates\u2019 Sharjah, \u200bthe United Kingdom Maritime \u2060Trade \u200bOperations (UKMTO) said early \u200bon Sunday.<\/p>\n

It \u200csaid that all \u200bcrew were reported \u2060safe.<\/p>\n

The \u2060UKMTO \u200bsaid in a later statement that the target of \u200cthe incident could \u2060not be conclusively identified and \u200cauthorities were investigating.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 23 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Israeli military instructed to accelerate the demolition of Lebanese homes in \u2018frontline villages\u2019, minister says\"AA group of Lebanese internally displaced people gathers around a truck to collect water in Beirut, March 21st, 2026. Photograph: Diego Ibarra S\u00e1nchez\/The New York Times. <\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s defence minister Israel \u200cKatz said on Sunday \u200bthat he and prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu \u200bhad instructed the \u2060military to accelerate \u200cthe demolition \u200cof \u200bLebanese homes in \u201cfrontline \u2060villages\u201d \u200bto end threats \u200bto Israeli \u200ccommunities.<\/p>\n

The military was \u200binstructed to immediately \u2060destroy \u2060all bridges \u200bover Lebanon\u2019s Litani river which he said were used for \u201cterrorist \u200cactivity\u201d, Katz \u2060said in a statement \u200creleased by his office.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 28 minutes ago<\/p>\n

One Turkish soldier and \u200ctwo personnel from Turkish defence \u200bfirm Aselsan were killed in a helicopter crash \u200bin Qatar on Saturday, \u2060the Turkish defence ministry \u200csaid \u200con \u200bSunday, adding the aircraft \u2060had \u200bcrashed due \u200bto a technical issue \u200cduring a training \u200bflight.<\/p>\n

In a statement, \u2060the \u2060ministry \u200bsaid four Qatari troops were also killed in the accident. It added Qatari \u200cauthorities \u2060would carry out inspections to determine the \u200cexact cause of the \u200bcrash.\u00a0– Reuters<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 46 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Zelenskiy has a \u2018very bad feeling\u2019 about impact of Iran war on Ukraine\u2019s fight against Russia \"BritishBritish prime minister Keir Starmer greets president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival in Downing Street March 17th, 2026 in London, England. Photograph: Dan Kitwood\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

In an interview during a visit to London in the week, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy talked about the impact of Donald Trump\u2019s attention being diverted from Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine to the US-Israeli war with Iran. <\/p>\n

He said, I have a very bad feeling about the impact of this war on the situation in Ukraine and the focus of America is more on the Middle East than on Ukraine unfortunately. Therefore, you see that our diplomatic meetings, trilateral meetings are constantly postponed. There is one reason: war in Iran. <\/p>\n

Zelenskiy said that although trilateral meetings have been postponed Kyiv and Washington officials are still talking daily and that Washington and Moscow are speaking daily. – Guardian <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 49 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Bahrain\u2019s defence force says in an update on social media that it has intercepted and destroyed 246 drones and 145 missiles from Iran since the war started. – Guardian<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Overnight attacks target US diplomatic and logistics centre at airport in Baghdad\"ThisThis photograph shows a house that was damaged by a drone strike in the Al-Saydiya neighbourhood of Baghdad on March 22nd, 2026. Photograph: Murtaja LATEEF \/ AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Earlier, it was reported that a drone attack targeted a military base near Baghdad International Airport on Sunday. <\/p>\n

The AFP news agency is now reporting that at least six overnight attacks targeted a US diplomatic and logistics centre at the airport. <\/p>\n

\u201cEight separate attacks, carried out until dawn with rockets and drones targeted the US centre,\u201d a senior security official told AFP, while a second official said there had been six strikes, not saying who was behind them. – Guardian<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Six dead after helicopter crash in Qatar territorial waters<\/p>\n

Six people \u200cwere killed in \u200ba helicopter crash in Qatar\u2019s \u200bterritorial waters \u2060while operations continue to \u200cfind \u200cthe \u200blast missing \u2060person, \u200bthe \u200binterior ministry said \u200con Sunday.<\/p>\n

The \u200bdefence ministry earlier \u2060said \u2060the \u200bhelicopter had crashed after suffering a technical \u200cmalfunction \u2060during \u201croutine duty\u201d. <\/p>\n

Search operations are underway for crew members and passengers.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Asia\u2019s oil-importing nations seek alternatives to overcome Strait of Hormuz blockage<\/p>\n

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuzis piling pressure on major importers of oil, gas and fuels from the Persian Gulf, prompting them to scramble for solutions.<\/p>\n

For Asia\u2019s oil-importing nations caught in the crossfire, the closure is limiting supplies of oil, gas and fuels and pushing up prices \u2014 forcing them to consider alternatives, in some cases by finding other suppliers or by attempting negotiations with Tehran. <\/p>\n

India, in the grip of an acute liquefied petroleum gas shortage, has secured at least two cargoes of the cooking fuel and is negotiating transit for more.<\/p>\n

In a weekend call with Iran\u2019s president Ahmad Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi stressed the importance of keeping shipping lanes \u201copen and secure,\u201d according to a post on X.<\/p>\n

\" <\/p>\n

A Pakistan-bound crude tanker made its way through the corridor a week ago, while Turkey was also given the green light, according to a state-owned news outlet.<\/p>\n

Other Asian buyers with close ties to the US are attempting to navigate the delicate balance between the urgent need for oil and lower prices \u2014 and the need to avoid antagonizing a volatile Trump administration, especially when most have resisted calls from Washington for warships to help secure the strait.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi indicated in an interview on Friday that the country was ready to allow Japan-related ships to transit the waterway. His counterpart in Japan quickly clarified that the country was not considering unilateral negotiations.<\/p>\n

Instead, Japan would focus on ensuring \u201cconditions where everyone can pass,\u201d foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, stressing the importance of maintaining broad freedom of navigation. About 45 Japan-linked vessels remain affected in the strait, he said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

South Korea, another major importer of crude and exporter of fuels into Asia and beyond, has been similarly circumspect, saying it is closely monitoring developments and communicates with relevant countries, including Iran. – Bloomberg<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Strait of Hormuz remains open to all except \u2018enemies\u2019, Iran tells UN maritime agency<\/p>\n

The Strait of Hormuz remains open to \u200call shipping except vessels linked to \u201cIran\u2019s enemies\u201d, Iran\u2019s representative to \u200bthe UN maritime agency said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The \u2060threat of Iranian attacks during the US-Israeli \u200cwar \u200con Iran \u200bhas kept most ships from getting through the narrow strait, the \u2060conduit for \u200baround a fifth of \u200bglobal oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening \u200ca global energy shock.<\/p>\n

Ali \u200bMousavi said Tehran was ready to cooperate \u2060with the International Maritime \u2060Organisation \u200bto improve maritime safety and protect seafarers in the Gulf, adding that ships not linked to \u201cIran\u2019s enemies\u201d could pass the strait by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiplomacy remains Iran\u2019s priority. However, \u200ca complete cessation of \u2060aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important,\u201d Mousavi said, \u200cadding that Israeli and US attacks against Iran were \u200bat the \u201croot of the current \u200bsituation in the Strait of Hormuz\u201d. – Reuters<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

More than 100 people were wounded in Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns<\/p>\n

More than 100 people were wounded in Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns on Saturday, after Israeli air defence systems failed to intercept the projectiles. <\/p>\n

Images from the scene showed first responders searching the wreckage, including damaged residential buildings.<\/p>\n

Tehran\u2019s main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit earlier in the day and it responded with missiles that hit the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, the largest near the centre in Israel\u2019s sparsely populated Negev desert. It was the first time Iranian missiles penetrated Israel\u2019s air defence systems in the area around the nuclear site.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Israeli regime is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase of the battle,\u201d Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X before word of the Arad strike spread.<\/p>\n

\"Ultra-OrthodoxUltra-Orthodox Jewish men look at destroyed buildings after an Iranian missile strike on March 22nd, 2026 in Arad, Israel. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said more emergency crews were being sent to the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very difficult evening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rescue workers said the direct hit in Arad caused widespread damage across at least 10 apartment buildings, three of them badly damaged and in danger of collapsing. At least 64 people were taken to hospitals.<\/p>\n

Dimona is about 12 miles west of the nuclear research centre and Arad is around 22 miles north. – Associated Press<\/p>\n

\"DestroyedDestroyed buildings after an Iranian missile strike on March 22nd, 2026 in Arad, Israel. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Donald Trump warns US will \u2018obliterate\u2019 Iranian power plants if it fails to open Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump<\/a> warned the US will \u201cobliterate\u201d Iranian<\/a> power plants if it does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.<\/p>\n

His statement came hours after Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel<\/a> late on Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel\u2019s main nuclear research centre.<\/p>\n

The developments signalled the war was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week.<\/p>\n

Trump \u2014 who is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the Strait as oil prices soar \u2014 issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend at his Florida home.<\/p>\n

Trump said he is giving Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy \u201cvarious POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran warned early on Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt attacks on US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets in the region, according to a statement citing an Iranian military spokesperson carried by state media and semi-official outlets. – Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main pointsUS president Donald Trump has threatened to \u201cobliterate\u201d Iran\u2019s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359178,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[969,42,11829,3410,43,40,38,41,39,90],"class_list":["post-359177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-donald-trump","tag-headlines","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}