US Senator Lindsey Graham said he had the ear of Donald Trump and is convinced the President will follow through on his threat to strike Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not reach an agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Senator Graham expressed full support for the ultimatum, stating he “totally” backs the President’s plan to target energy infrastructure should Iran fail to comply by April 6.
Graham wrote on X: “After speaking with President Trump this morning, I am completely convinced that he will use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives.
“If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be.”
Trump reiterated the warning in a social media post on Saturday morning, giving Tehran 48 hours to act before the United States takes further measures.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, now a vocal critic of the President, claimed that Donald Trump is “probably in panic mode” over the crisis. Bolton accused the administration of a lack of “effective decision-making” heading into the conflict, arguing that Friday’s events, coupled with previous claims that the U.S. had “dominated the skies” in Operation Epic Fury, “degrade White House credibility.”
Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham said he had the ear of Trump and is convinced the President will follow through on his threat to strike Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not reach an agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported. Graham stated he “totally” supports the ultimatum and emphasised that Iran has only until April 6 to comply.
‼️🇺🇲🇮🇷 BREAKING | U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, “all hell will break loose” upon them.
Most likely, after the 48-hour deadline expires, the United States will begin a large-scale campaign targeting Iran’s… pic.twitter.com/aak58nA5Ks— Visioner (@visionergeo) April 4, 2026
On Saturday morning, the President reiterated the warning on social media, asserting that “time is running out.”
Iran has made clear that it intends to consolidate control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital oil chokepoints.
Abbas Goudarzi described the strait as a “strategic advantage,” stating that it would remain under the control of Iran’s armed forces. Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, he suggested Tehran will leverage its position over the passageway despite the risk of severe disruption to global energy markets.
U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that Iran does not plan to reopen the strait in the near term, instead seeking to use control of the route as bargaining leverage.
In a separate development, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied involvement in an alleged attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, calling the claims “undoubtedly a Zionist act.”
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities urged civilians to help locate any surviving American airmen, while state-linked social media circulated images claiming to show aircraft wreckage, none of which has been independently verified.
The downing of two U.S. aircraft in a single day, combined with the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, marks one of the most serious confrontations between the United States and Iran in recent years.
With elite rescue teams operating in hostile territory, vital shipping lanes at risk, and both sides hardening their positions, fears are growing that the conflict could escalate into a far wider regional war.
