&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Russia urges political, diplomatic solution as Trump’s 48-hour Hormuz deadline nears")
Russia on Monday (March 23) called for a "political and diplomatic" settlement to the West Asia war as the deadline for US President Donald Trump's ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz nears. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for the shipping of around 20 per cent of the global oil supply, since the start of the war on February 28.
"We believe that the situation should transition to a political and diplomatic settlement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
"This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to defusing the catastrophically tense situation that has now developed in the region," Peskov said.
Russia also warned against striking Iran's only operational nuclear power plant at Bushehr, built with Moscow's assistance, after a UN watchdog announced last week that it was hit by a projectile.
"Of course, this poses a very serious security threat if this trend continues," Peskov said on Monday.
"We consider strikes on nuclear facilities to be potentially extremely dangerous and fraught with, perhaps even irreversible, consequences," he added.
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These statements follow US President Donald Trump’s latest 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, issued on Saturday, warning that the United States will "obliterate" Iran's power plants, starting with the largest first, if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened.
Based on the timing of the post, the 48-hour window is set to expire late Monday night, as global oil prices surge due to the effective closure of the waterway.
"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The US President came under intense domestic and international pressure due to rising energy prices, with crude oil trading above $100 a barrel since the start of the war on February 28. Confusing messaging from Donald Trump also added to market volatility, as he kept the US stance on the Strait of Hormuz unclear. Earlier, he had called for multilateral naval support from European allies to force open the vital waterway.
However, after being snubbed by partners, he said Washington was not concerned, as it does not depend on the strait for its energy needs. On Saturday, he again shifted his position by issuing a deadline to Iran.
Iran's military responded with a warning to completely close the vital waterway if the US military targets power infrastructure.
"If the United States' threats regarding Iran's power plants are carried out, the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed, and it will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt," it said.
