Iran mocks Trump threats as global markets convulse

US President Donald Trump has triggered international alarm after threatening to target Iran’s infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

The remarks, posted on his Truth Social platform on Easter Sunday, warned of imminent military action and included direct insults aimed at Iranian leaders.

Markets reacted immediately.

Oil prices rose, with Brent crude increasing by 1.4%, while gas prices surged to their highest level since 2022.

Threats of infrastructure strikes raise war crime concerns

Donovan Williams, an international relations expert, described the comments as deeply concerning, warning they could amount to threats of war crimes.

“Targeting a country’s electricity infrastructure… has knock-on effects to food production, water systems, and hospitals,” he said.

“Those are protected under international conventions.”

Trump, however, has signalled disregard for such frameworks.

“I don’t care about international law. I’m guided by my own morality,” he has said.

Strait of Hormuz tensions shake global economy

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis.

Around 20% of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway, making any disruption immediately felt in global fuel prices.

While the US may not rely directly on oil from the region, the broader economic impact is unavoidable.

“Every country has been affected,” the expert said.

Fuel prices and market stability are now closely tied to developments in the Iran conflict.

Contradictions and growing concern in the US

The threats also appear to contradict Trump’s earlier stance that the US does not depend on the Strait of Hormuz.

Calls are emerging within US political circles to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows cabinet members to remove a president deemed unfit for office.

“This is a public meltdown,” Williams said.

Iran responds with mockery amid rising tensions

Iran has dismissed the threats as ‘obscenities and nonsense’.

Official embassy accounts have responded with sarcasm and parody, including claims they have ‘lost the keys’ to the Strait of Hormuz.

The response reflects a growing ‘communication war’ between the two countries.

But behind the rhetoric, the consequences are already being felt.

“The price at the pump… all of us feel it,” Williams said.

For more information, listen to Williams on CapeTalk’s Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit using the audio player below: