Iran: If power plants are attacked, the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed. According to a report from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting on the 22nd, the Iranian armed forces issued a statement on the same day, stating that if U.S. President Trump's threat to attack Iran's power plants is carried out, Iran will immediately implement four "punitive" measures, including the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement indicated that Iran has repeatedly stated that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to enemies and "harmful passage" and has not been completely blocked; it is currently under Iran's "intelligent control." "Within the framework of specific rules, innocent passage continues to be guaranteed under conditions that ensure our security and interests."

The statement warned that if the U.S. threat to attack Iran's power plants is carried out, Iran will immediately take four "punitive" measures:

The Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed until Iran's damaged power facilities are rebuilt;

A wide range of attacks will be launched on all of Israel's power facilities, energy, and communication infrastructure;

All companies in the Middle East with U.S. shareholding will be completely destroyed;

Power facilities in all countries in the region that host U.S. military bases will become legitimate targets for attack.

The statement said: "If the enemy causes damage to our power facilities, we will spare no effort to defend our national interests and initiate a continuous and uninterrupted process of destroying the aforementioned targets."

On the evening of the 21st, Trump posted on social media, demanding that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, otherwise, Iran's "various power plants" would be attacked and destroyed.

Iran Explains Principles for Passage Through the Strait of Hormuz

On the 22nd, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, stating that the Strait of Hormuz has not been blocked, and ships can continue to navigate the waterway under the necessary measures taken due to the war situation. At the same time, the statement elaborated on Iran's principled stance regarding shipping and navigation safety in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in the statement that after the United States and Israel launched military aggression against Iran, the situation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became dangerous, directly affecting regional shipping and navigation safety. In exercising the right to legitimate self-defense, Iran has taken a series of measures to ensure that aggressors and their supporters do not misuse the Strait of Hormuz to advance their aggressive objectives.

The statement said that ships belonging to the United States, Israel, and other countries participating in the aggression do not meet the conditions for normal and non-hostile passage, and Iran will deal with them according to the law; ships belonging to other countries or associated with them that are non-hostile, as long as they do not participate in or cooperate with aggressive actions against Iran and comply with the safety regulations and measures announced by Iran, can safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz after coordinating with the relevant Iranian authorities.

The statement emphasized that to fully restore sustainable security and stability in the Strait of Hormuz, military aggression and threats against Iran must cease, actions by the United States and Israel to destabilize Iran must stop, and Iran's legitimate interests must be fully respected.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif elaborated on these principles through social media. He also emphasized that Iran will not yield to threats, "Instead of threats, respect. Without freedom of trade, there is no freedom of navigation."