TEL AVIV– President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if the country does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz by Monday, escalating his attempts to force Iran to reopen the waterway as energy prices surge. Iran’s escalating strikes on energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf have also been stoking fears of a full-blown energy crisis. Human rights groups said more than two dozen people faced the death penalty in relation to the protests — and that potentially hundreds are facing charges. That is because Iran’s principal military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, “has the upper hand,” the cable said. Last year, Iran executed an estimated 1,500 people — double the amount of the previous year, according to the nonprofit Iran Human Rights.

Source: Washington Post March 22, 2026 01:04 UTC