Trump Threatens Iran with Power Plant Destruction if Strait of Hormuz Not Reopened by Tuesday, as Iran Denies US Talks

US President Donald Trump has issued a direct ultimatum to Iran: reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 7, or face the destruction of national power plants and bridges. This echoes an earlier March 21 ultimatum in which he threatened to attack Iran's power plants—"the biggest one first"—if the strait was not fully reopened within 48 hours. Trump has since extended that deadline several times, citing progress in negotiations he claims the US is having with Iran to end the ongoing war. Iran denies it is holding direct talks with the US.

While Trump has made grand statements such as "they're going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country," he has not mentioned specific targets. The US president has also threatened to destroy the country's bridges. Over the weekend, a US-Israeli strike hit the B1 bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran. The major highway link, described as the tallest bridge in the Middle East, had been scheduled to be inaugurated soon. It sustained significant damage in the strike.

Legal experts say that targeting civilian sites amounts to "collective punishment," which is prohibited under the laws of war. Iran operates hundreds of power plants, forming one of the largest electricity systems in the Middle East, supplying energy to 92 million people. Most of the country's power plants are close to major population centres and industrial hubs. The majority of Iran's population lives in the western half of the country, with Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan the three largest cities.

Iran has a mixture of gas, coal, hydro, nuclear, and oil-fired power plants, but most are gas-fired. In the north and centre of the country, clusters of gas-fired plants supply electricity to the country's largest population centres, including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Mashhad. Another major concentration of power plants lies along the Gulf coast. These plants sit close to major gasfields and ports, allowing large thermal stations to run on abundant natural gas. The coast is also home to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's only nuclear power facility, which has a capacity of 1,000MW.

The US and Israel have repeatedly hit this nuclear power plant, raising risks of radioactive contamination far beyond Iran's borders, the state-run Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) has warned. Iran also operates a handful of hydropower dams concentrated along the Karun River, the country's most important source of hydroelectric generation. Electricity generated from all these plants is fed into a national transmission network operated by Iran Grid Management Company, which distributes power to cities, industries, and homes across the country.

A 100MW power plant can typically supply electricity to roughly 75,000 to 100,000 homes, depending on consumption patterns. Iran's largest power plant by capacity is the Damavand Power Plant, located in the Pakdasht area, roughly 50km southeast of Tehran, with a capacity of some 2,900MW, enough to power more than two million homes.

Iran's largest power plants include: - Damavand (Pakdasht) Power Plant – Near Tehran. Fuel: Natural gas (combined-cycle). Capacity: 2,868MW. - Shahid Salimi Power Plant – Neka, along the Caspian Sea coast. Fuel: Natural gas. Capacity: 2,215MW. - Shahid Rajaee Power Plant – Near Qazvin. Fuel: Natural gas. Capacity: 2,043MW. - Karun-3 Dam – Khuzestan Province. Fuel: Hydropower. Capacity: 2,000MW. - Kerman Power Plant – Kerman. Fuel: Natural gas. Capacity: 1,912MW.

Other smaller but strategically important power plants include: - Ramin Power Plant – Ahvaz, Khuzestan. Fuel: Gas. Capacity: 1,903MW. - Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant – On the Gulf. Fuel: Nuclear. Capacity: 1,000MW. - Bandar Abbas Power Plant – Near the Strait of Hormuz. Fuel: Oil. Capacity: 1,330MW.

Iran's electricity system relies heavily on large thermal power plants fuelled by natural gas. This dependence raises concerns about the stability of its energy supply in the event of targeted strikes. With Trump's threats looming, the question remains: how will ordinary Iranians, who rely on these power plants for daily life, be affected by a conflict that seems increasingly disconnected from their desires?

Iran's energy landscape is a story of stark contrasts, where the nation's vast natural gas reserves shape its power system in profound ways. With 86 percent of its electricity generated from natural gas in 2025, the country has built an infrastructure that hinges on this single fuel source. How does a nation with such vast resources manage to remain so reliant on a single fuel source? The answer lies in both geography and economic strategy. Natural gas, abundant and relatively inexpensive, has become the backbone of Iran's power grid, feeding hundreds of plants that supply homes, industries, and cities across the country.

Yet this dependence is not without its vulnerabilities. When winter demand surges, or when pipeline disruptions occur, some power stations pivot to alternatives. Oil-fired plants, though smaller in scale, provide a safety net, contributing roughly seven percent of electricity. During peak periods, diesel and fuel oil take center stage, a temporary fix that underscores the fragility of a system so tightly bound to gas. These shifts reveal a hidden tension: the balance between reliability and sustainability.

Hydropower, another pillar of Iran's energy mix, offers a glimpse of diversity. Large dams on rivers like the Karun generate power by harnessing the kinetic energy of flowing water. This renewable source accounts for about five percent of the country's electricity, a modest but significant contribution. The Karun River, in particular, has become a symbol of Iran's efforts to tap into its natural resources beyond fossil fuels. However, the intermittent nature of hydropower—dependent on seasonal rainfall and river levels—limits its potential as a consistent energy source.

Nuclear energy, though minimal, adds another layer to the mix. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's only operational reactor, contributes around two percent of the nation's electricity. This facility, a product of international collaboration, represents both technological ambition and geopolitical complexity. Its role is small but symbolic, highlighting the country's cautious steps toward diversification.

Renewables, however, remain on the sidelines. Solar and wind energy together generate less than one percent of Iran's electricity, a figure that lags far behind global trends. Why? A combination of investment gaps, regulatory challenges, and the sheer dominance of fossil fuels in the current system. The potential for solar energy alone is immense, given Iran's abundant sunlight, yet progress has been slow.

Putting it all together, over 90 percent of Iran's electricity comes from fossil fuels, making it one of the most gas-dependent power systems in the world. This reality raises pressing questions: What happens when gas supplies dwindle or prices rise? Can the country afford to remain so vulnerable to a single resource? For now, the answer is clear—natural gas powers Iran's lights, but the path forward may require a reckoning with energy security and sustainability.