Blackout To Desalination Threat: Iran Warns Gulf After Trump's 48‑Hour Hormuz Ultimatum

Last Updated:March 22, 2026, 18:21 IST

The ultimatum marked a major escalation, following Trump’s previous remarks about “winding down” the conflict, now in its fourth week.

Iran on Sunday warned of a potential blackout across Gulf states in retaliation for a US ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran named major power and in the region as “legitimate targets".

The warning came a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate" Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The ultimatum marked a major escalation, following Trump’s previous remarks about “winding down" the conflict, now in its fourth week.

In response, Iran’s state media outlet Mehr News and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued a direct retaliation threat. Both released satellite maps marking dozens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coastal power stations, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan North, Dubai’s Jebel Ali South, Kuwait’s Al Zour North and South, Saudi facilities in the Eastern Province, and sites in Bahrain and Sharjah.

Iran said it could target these facilities with “high credibility" using short and medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles such as Shahab-3, Emad, and Fateh-313, and mass Shahed-style drone swarms launched from southern coasts or islands.

ALSO READ: Trump’s Iran Threat Meant To Pressure Gulf Nations, Not Tehran: Analysts

Intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that these systems, with ranges of 200–600 km, have already proven lethal in recent strikes.

Previous Iranian attacks have caused extensive fires, LNG outages, and power disruptions at Ras Laffan and similar Gulf energy sites. These plants are integrated with desalination infrastructure supplying roughly 80% of the region’s fresh water. While countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE have multiple desalination options, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait rely heavily on single Gulf coastlines.

Any attack could impact major cities including Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Kuwait City, amplifying economic shocks at a time when oil prices have surged past $119 per barrel.

Despite the threat, GCC interconnected grids, Patriot and THAAD air defences, and allied rapid-repair capabilities are expected to prevent total regional darkness.

The ongoing war in Iran, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, has already killed over 2,000 people, disrupted markets, spiked fuel costs, fuelled global inflation fears, and convulsed the postwar Western alliance.

Iranian strikes have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies," while it remains open to other shipping, according to Iran’s representative to the International Maritime Organisation. The near-closure has caused the worst oil crisis since the 1970s.

News world Blackout To Desalination Threat: Iran Warns Gulf After Trump's 48‑Hour Hormuz Ultimatum

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