‘The gates of hell will be opened for you’: Iran rejects Trump’s ‘helpless’ 48-hour ultimatum to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran on Saturday rejected US President Donald Trump’s “48-hour ultimatum” in which he threatened to destroy the country’s vital infrastructure if a deal was not reached within the stipulated time.Tehran’s Central Military Command responded strongly, with General Khatam al-Anbia Central Command Ali Abdullahi Aliabadi describing the US president’s remarks as a “helpless, tense, unbalanced and foolish action.”Echoing the tone of Trump’s own message, he said “the simple meaning of this message is that the gates of hell will be opened for you,” according to AFP.

What did Trump say earlier?

Trump warned Tehran in a Truth Society post on Saturday that there would be serious military consequences if Iran failed to take action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or reach a deal.The US president had earlier imposed a deadline on Iran amid rising tensions in West Asia, particularly over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.“Remember I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz. Time is running out – hell will befall them in 48 hours. Glory to God! President Donald J. Trump,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.The latest ultimatum comes despite recent signs of diplomatic contact between the two countries.On March 26, Trump announced a temporary halt to potential strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure. He has said the decision followed what he said was a request from Tehran, while insisting talks were progressing actively.Trump said in the statement: “At the request of the Government of Iran, please let this statement mean that I will suspend the destruction of energy plants for 10 days, with a deadline of 8 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2026. Eastern Time. Negotiations are ongoing and are progressing well despite false statements to the contrary by the fake news media and other outlets. “ALSO READ | ‘Hell will rain’: Trump issues new 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to make deal or open Strait of HormuzBefore that, he had also directed the U.S. War Department to postpone a possible attack for five days, citing ongoing negotiations.The Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the standoff because it is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.Trump’s repeated warnings have focused on reopening strategic corridors, with earlier ultimatums also linking failure to comply to potential attacks on Iranian energy facilities.