Former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, via his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that it must reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, April 7, or face American airstrikes on its power plants and bridges. This marks one of the most aggressive and explicit threats from Trump since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began in late February 2026.
Easter Ultimatum: ‘Power Plant Day and Bridge Day’
Trump's post read in full: ‘Tuesday will be Iran's Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, and it will all be one. Nothing will compare to it!!! Open the damn Strait, you lunatics, or you will live in hell – just wait! Praise Allah. President Donald J. Trump.’ The message set a deadline of April 7, 2026, and stated that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces would strike the country's energy and infrastructure targets.
The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of the world's oil supply. Iran has blocked or severely disrupted shipping through the waterway since February 2026 in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli airstrikes conducted as part of Operation Epic Fury. Trump has issued multiple ultimatums during the conflict, some of which passed without Iran fully complying. However, this particular post, delivered on a major Christian holiday and ending with ‘Praise Allah,’ immediately drew global attention due to its vulgar tone and explicit threat.
Trump Confirms Arming Iranian Protesters via Kurdish Channels
Separately, Trump granted an approximately 15-minute interview to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst around the same time. In that interview, he explicitly confirmed that the U.S. had secretly sent weapons to anti-government protesters in Iran earlier in 2026. ‘We sent them guns. A lot of them,’ Trump told Yingst. ‘We sent them through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds kept the guns.’ Trump also claimed that Iranian security forces had killed roughly 45,000 protesters during the crackdown earlier this year, part of a broader internal pressure campaign against the Iranian government amid the ongoing conflict.
The arms supply via Kurdish channels is part of a wider U.S. effort to weaken the Iranian regime from within. Kurdish forces control areas along Iran's border and have served as a conduit for material support for various operations in the region. In the Fox News interview, Trump also said there was a ‘good chance’ of reaching a diplomatic agreement with Iran by Monday, April 6. He added that if a deal is not reached quickly, the U.S. ‘could blow everything up and take the oil.’ He also mentioned limited amnesty measures for Iranian negotiators.
Market Impact and Outlook
Oil prices have surged above $110 per barrel, and the prospect of U.S. interest rate cuts in 2026 has completely evaporated as the market fully prices in the impact of the U.S.-Iran war on the Federal Reserve's outlook. With the Federal Open Market Committee decision on April 29 approaching, uncertainty from the military conflict has become a core variable. Trump has previously stated that airstrikes will continue or expand until the Strait is ‘open, free, and safe.’
As of now, U.S. and Israeli forces have struck Iranian naval assets, air bases, missile sites, and military leadership targets. Iran has responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz and launching missile and drone attacks. Internal reports from Iran indicate regime instability, including the deaths of senior leaders and the emergence of a new president reportedly seeking a ceasefire. Trump's latest threat has further escalated tensions in the Middle East, placing global energy markets under significant risk.