US-Israel Jointly Threaten Iran Over Hormuz, Despite Ongoing Nuclear Negotiations
US President Donald Trump delivered a two-day ultimatum to Iran on March 22, 2026, demanding the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz or face military strikes on its power infrastructure. This threat follows closely on the heels of renewed public statements from American and Israeli officials regarding joint military exercises and preparedness for contingencies in the Persian Gulf region.
Iranian officials, in response, firmly rejected the ultimatum, reiterating their sovereign right to control their territorial waters and warning against any escalatory moves. Mainstream outlets, like Bloomberg Politics, frame this as 'Iran Warns Trump After He Gives Two-Day Ultimatum,' implying a reactive Iranian posture to an unprovoked US demand. This framing obscures the long history of US and
Israeli aggression in the region and presents the US as a neutral party seeking free passage, rather than a direct participant in a coordinated pressure campaign. It also omits the inconvenient fact that the US has repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for international law when it comes to Iranian sovereignty, for instance, in 1988, when the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all
290 civilians aboard, claiming it mistook the passenger jet for a fighter plane. This latest ultimatum arrives during a period where, despite public saber-rattling, back-channel discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program are reportedly ongoing. The timing of such a direct threat, coupled with significant increases in joint US-Israeli military exercises since late 2025, serves multiple purposes.