President Donald Trump pressed hard for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, mentioning the possibility of a large-scale military strike against Iran.
On the 5th (local time), Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, hinting at strikes targeting key infrastructure by saying, "The 7th will be the day of Iran's power plants and bridges." He then demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be opened and issued a warning in strong terms.
He emphasized to watch the situation, saying "something of unprecedented scale will happen," and added remarks that mocked Iran by invoking religious expressions.
Earlier, Trump had mentioned the possibility of negotiations with Iran and said he would defer strikes on power plants and energy facilities for a period of time. But as the deferral deadline neared, he issued another hard-line message, which is seen as raising the pressure while leaving open the possibility of actual military action.
The latest remarks are seen as an attempt to pressure both the passage issue in the Strait of Hormuz and a deal in the negotiations. Some analysts also say his repeated use of coarse language in public messages is a strategy to heighten tensions and seize the initiative in talks.
The 7th that Trump mentioned is based on U.S. Eastern time. In Korea time, it stretches into the morning of the 8th. Trump said he would hold a press conference with military officials at the White House at 1 p.m. on the 6th, which is 2 a.m. on the 7th in Korea time.