By Maayan Lubell, Alexander Cornwell and Idrees Ali

TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a significant escalation barely a day after he talked about "winding down" the war.

"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" Trump said on social media.

Trump's ultimatum would expand the scope of U.S. strikes to infrastructure that affects daily civilian life in Iran.

The threat of Iranian attacks has kept most ships from getting through the strait, a narrow waterway that serves as the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening a global energy shock. Its near-closure sent European gas prices surging as much as 35% last week.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said Sunday that if the U.S. attacks Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure, then Iran would target all U.S. energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure in the region.

Energy prices spiked last week after Iran responded to an Israeli attack on its major gas field by hitting Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, which processes around a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas, causing damage that will take years to repair.

The threats to Gulf infrastructure came as the conflict entered dangerous new territory.

Israeli officials said Iranian forces had for the first time fired long-range missiles, expanding the risk of attacks beyond the Middle East, even as an Iranian strike injured dozens of people not far from Israel's nuclear site.

Iran launched two ballistic missiles with a range of 4,000 km (2,500 miles) at the U.S.-British ‌military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli military said it was the first time Iran had used long-range missiles since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.

"These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals - Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range," Zamir said in a statement on Saturday.

A source at Britain's defense ministry said the attack had occurred before the government gave specific authorization on Friday for the U.S. to use British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites.

More than 2,000 people have been killed during the war. In Israel, 15 people have been killed in Iranian strikes.

TRUMP SENDS MIXED SIGNALS

Trump and his administration have sent mixed messages about U.S. goals throughout the war, now in its fourth week, leaving U.S. allies struggling to respond.

Trump's ultimatum on Saturday was the most abrupt shift yet. Trump's rhetoric pivoted from a drawdown to an explicit 48-hour countdown to strike Iran's power infrastructure, even as U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft continue heading to the region.

Iran’s largest power plants include the Damavand power plant near Tehran (2,868 megawatts of capacity), the Kerman plant in southeastern Iran (1,910 MW), and the Ramin steam power plant in Khuzestan province (1,890 MW), according to industry and energy databases.

The country’s sole nuclear plant at Bushehr on Iran's southern coast produces about 1,000 MW.

Earlier this month, Trump raised the idea of destroying Iran's power grid even while downplaying the notion. "We could take apart their electric capacity within one hour, and it would take them 25 years to rebuild," Trump told reporters on March 11. "So ideally, we're not going to be doing that."

U.S. voters appear increasingly concerned that the war could expand. Energy price shocks are fuelling inflation, hitting consumers and businesses hard, a major political liability for Trump as he seeks to justify the war to the public before November elections in which control of Congress is at stake.

Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait. Some allies have said they will consider it, but most say they are reluctant to join a war that Trump started without consulting them.

IRANIAN STRIKES HIT SOUTHERN ISRAEL

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it is conducting strikes in Tehran, hours after attacks on southern Israel.

Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles hit the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted "military installations" and security centers in southern Israel.

Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a post on X that the country's air defenses were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. "We will investigate the incident and learn from it," he said.

Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13 km (8 miles) southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country's largest.

"This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.

"We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts," the statement said.

Posted by: AAngeles/NET25 News