Trump Gives Iran 48-hour Ultimatum to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as War Escalates

*Iran threatens to make the Gulf region hell if escalation continues 

*Places $66,100 bounty on missing US pilot of downed fighter jet

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos

US President, Mr. Donald Trump yesterday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz or face overwhelming military action, as the intensifying conflict entered a new phase marked by downed aircraft, widening regional strikes, and mounting fears over nuclear safety.
In a swift response, Iran issued a stark warning to the US and Israel, saying the Gulf region could become a “hell” for both countries if tensions escalate further.

It placed a $66,100 (£50,000) bounty on a missing American airman after a US fighter jet was shot down over its territory, escalating tensions and triggering an urgent search-and-rescue operation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that hell would be let loose if Tehran failed to comply within the deadline, referencing earlier threats to target Iran’s energy infrastructure. The ultimatum followed a series of shifting deadlines and mixed signals from Washington, oscillating between threats of force and claims of ongoing diplomatic engagement.

The conflict, launched jointly by the US and Israel on February 28, has now entered its sixth week, with thousands reported dead and global markets rattled by disruptions to oil flows through the Gulf.
“Remember when I gave Iran 10 days to make a Deal or Open Up the Hormuz Strait. Time Is Running Out; 48 Hours Before All Hell Will Reign Down on Them,” Trump posted. “Glory be to God!” he concluded.

Trump’s reiteration of his Easter Monday deadline comes as the US continues its frantic search to locate a pilot whose F-15 was downed over Iran, following the successful rescue of a co-pilot. Iran has continued to fire missile attacks against Israel and the US Gulf allies.
Trump had previously announced the extension and 10-day deadline on March 26.

Trump’s demand that Iran open the Strait came after a second Turkish ship made it through the Strait, the country’s Transportation Minister, Abdulkadir Uralolu, disclosed yesterday.
“This was possible due to our initiatives and also because these ships were using Iranian ports or were carrying cargo to or from Iran,” Uralolu told CNN Türk. The first Turkish vessel made it through on March 13 after receiving permission from Iran.

Meanwhile, the war’s reach has expanded beyond traditional battlefields. An apparent Iranian drone strike caused damage to the Dubai headquarters of US tech firm Oracle Corporation, underscoring the growing risk to civilian and commercial infrastructure across the region. Iranian authorities have accused major American tech firms of espionage, declaring them potential targets.
In southern Iran, renewed strikes near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant have heightened fears of a nuclear incident. The facility, which has been targeted multiple times during the conflict, was again hit in its vicinity, killing a security guard and damaging auxiliary structures.

Late last night, Trump said “many” of Iran’s military leaders were killed in a huge strike on the Islamic republic’s capital.
“Many of Iran’s Military Leaders, who have led them poorly and unwisely, are terminated, along with much else, with this massive strike in Tehran!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The post included a video showing explosions lighting up a city’s skyline at night but did not specify when the military action took place.

However, responding, Iran issued a stark warning to the US and Israel, saying the Gulf region could become a “hell” for both countries if tensions escalate further.
Spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates Iran’s armed forces, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, while speaking to reporters yesterday, said: “If hostility escalates, the entire region will turn into hell for you; the illusion of defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a quagmire into which you will sink.”
The warning was reinforced by the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, Ali Abdollahi, who added that “the gates of hell will be opened” for the US and Israel if aggressive actions continue.

Abdollahi condemned Trump’s comments, describing the US president as “aggressive and war-mongering,” and called the threat to attack Iran’s infrastructure “a desperate, agitated, unbalanced, and foolish move.”
He further warned that any US attack on Iranian infrastructure would prompt Tehran to retaliate by targeting facilities used by the US military and Israel “without limitation.”

Meanwhile, Iran has placed a $66,100 (£50,000) bounty on a missing American airman after a US fighter jet was shot down over its territory, escalating tensions and triggering an urgent search-and-rescue operation.
The aircraft, a US F-15E Strike Eagle, was brought down over southern Iran on Friday, marking one of the most serious confrontations between the two countries in the ongoing conflict.

This marks the first time the US F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down in combat in over 40 years, as US officials confirmed that the jet, which carried a two-person crew, went down during combat operations.
 One crew member, the co-pilot, was rescued in a high-risk mission, while the second, a weapons systems officer, remained missing.
Iranian authorities, through state media, have since called on civilians to help locate the missing American, offering a reward of about $66,100 for anyone who captures the airman alive.  

The rescue effort has itself come under attack, as a US helicopter evacuating the rescued pilot was reportedly hit by small arms fire, injuring crew members, though it managed to land safely.
In a related development, a US A-10 Warthog aircraft deployed as part of the rescue mission was also struck and damaged, with its pilot safely recovered after ejecting. Iranian officials have claimed responsibility for downing an A-10, although it remains unclear if it was the same aircraft involved in the rescue operation.
The US has yet to issue an official statement through Central Command on the incident, with details emerging mainly from unnamed defence officials and media reports.

Amid the rising risks, Russia has begun evacuating personnel from the site. According to state nuclear agency Rosatom, 198 workers were transported toward the Iranian-Armenian border shortly after the latest strike, the largest such evacuation so far. A reduced skeleton staff remains on-site amid growing concerns about potential damage to the facility.

The crisis has also taken on a broader geopolitical dimension. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf signalled potential disruption to another key maritime chokepoint, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising the spectre of further shocks to global trade.

The waterway is a critical link between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, handling significant volumes of oil, liquefied natural gas, and container traffic.