'Open the f**kin Strait': Trump threatens Iran with 'hell' in social media rant

'Hell will reign down', Mr Trump warned in a post on Truth Social

Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US president Donald Trump has threatened Iran in an expletive-laden rant on his social media.

In a post on his Truth Social platform Trump warned Iran that if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, he said they would be "living in hell."

He wrote:  "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! 

Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! 

"Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP"

On Saturday the United States rescued an airman caught behind enemy lines after Iran shot down his F-15 fighter jet, the US government ​said early on Sunday, resolving a crisis for the president with the war on Iran in its sixth week.

The rescue is a bright spot for the United ‌States in a war that has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatens lasting damage to the world economy after Iran virtually shut the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump and Israel stepped up pressure on Saturday for Iran to open the strait, which usually carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, or face attacks on energy facilities.

The injured airman was the second of ​the two crew members from the warplane Iran said on Friday it had brought down with its air defenses, triggering a high-profile search by both Tehran and the ​United States.#

"Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History," ⁠Trump said in a statement posted by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.

Mr Trump and Israel stepped up pressure on Saturday for Iran to open the strait, which usually carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, or face attacks on energy facilities.

Although injured, the colonel "will be just fine," Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump, who has threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were not met, indicated his deadline for Tehran to reach a deal to end the war was around 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.

A member of police special forces stands guard at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will ​reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to GOD!" he posted on Truth Social on Saturday morning.

As the war has escalated, Trump has repeatedly mixed hints of diplomatic progress with threats to ​bomb the Islamic Republic "back to the Stone Ages."

Adding to the pressure, a senior Israeli defense official said Israel was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities within the next week, and was awaiting approval from the ‌United States.

But ⁠a defiant Iran warned the "entire region will become a hell for you" if the United States and Israel escalated attacks, Iranian media said.

Chances for peace talks, which Pakistan is seeking to broker between Washington and Tehran, appear to remain slim, and polls show low US public support for the war.