{"id":60557,"date":"2026-04-05T10:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T14:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-issues-hell-ultimatum-to-iran-as-opec-moves-to-increase-may-supply\/60557\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T10:38:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T14:38:24","slug":"trump-issues-hell-ultimatum-to-iran-as-opec-moves-to-increase-may-supply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-issues-hell-ultimatum-to-iran-as-opec-moves-to-increase-may-supply\/60557\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Issues &#8220;Hell&#8221; Ultimatum to Iran as OPEC+ Moves to Increase May Supply"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> has issued a final 48-hour ultimatum to Iran<\/strong>, threatening to bomb critical infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> is not reopened by Tuesday.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The &quot;OPEC+ 8&quot; group has agreed to unwind 206,000 barrels per day (bpd)<\/strong> of voluntary production cuts for the month of May, signaling a cautious increase in global supply despite regional instability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Special Operations forces successfully rescued a &quot;seriously wounded&quot; American airman<\/strong> from deep within Iranian territory, an event that has significantly escalated the President&#39;s rhetoric against Tehran.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran has partially eased its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, specifically allowing Iraqi vessels to transit the waterway, according to reports from the <em>Financial Times<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> confirmed the U.S. attempted to arm Iranian protesters<\/strong> earlier this year via Kurdish intermediaries, though he alleged that Kurdish forces &quot;kept the guns&quot; rather than delivering them to the intended recipients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump has brought the Middle East to the brink of total conflict, issuing a profanity-laced ultimatum to Tehran following the high-stakes rescue of a missing American airman. Speaking to <strong>Fox News<\/strong>, Trump warned that if a deal is not reached &quot;fast,&quot; he is prepared to &quot;blow everything up&quot; and potentially seize control of Iranian oil fields. The President set a deadline for Monday, declaring that Tuesday would otherwise become &quot;Power Plant Day and Bridge Day&quot; for Iranian infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The rescue of the airman, a highly respected colonel who was &quot;seriously wounded&quot; after his <strong>F-15E Strike Eagle<\/strong> was downed over the mountains of Iran, has served as a catalyst for the administration&#39;s aggressive stance. While Trump noted that he believes an agreement could be reached as early as tomorrow, he emphasized that the U.S. would no longer tolerate the closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. Market volatility has spiked as traders weigh the risk of infrastructure destruction against the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough.<\/p>\n<p>On the supply side, the <strong>OPEC+ 8<\/strong>\u2014a coalition including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the UAE\u2014has decided to proceed with unwinding <strong>206,000 bpd<\/strong> of voluntary production cuts for the month of May. This move suggests that major producers are attempting to stabilize a market currently rocked by geopolitical premiums. Energy giants like ExxonMobil (<a href=\"\/stock\/XOM\">XOM<\/a>) and Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>) are being closely watched as the potential for supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf remains at its highest level in decades.<\/p>\n<p>In a slight de-escalation of maritime tensions, Iran has reportedly begun allowing Iraqi ships to transit the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. This exemption for Baghdad comes amid a broader blockade that has sidelined hundreds of tankers and sent the United States Oil Fund (<a href=\"\/stock\/USO\">USO<\/a>) into a period of extreme price swings. Analysts at <em>Financial Times<\/em> suggest this move may be an attempt by Tehran to maintain regional alliances while under heavy pressure from Washington.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the day&#39;s revelations, Trump claimed that the U.S. had covertly sent weapons to Iranian protesters through Kurdish groups earlier this year. However, the President expressed frustration, stating his belief that the Kurds &quot;kept them&quot; for their own use. As the Monday deadline approaches, the global energy sector remains on high alert, with ConocoPhillips (<a href=\"\/stock\/COP\">COP<\/a>) and Halliburton (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAL\">HAL<\/a>) investors bracing for the outcome of what Trump describes as a &quot;final&quot; negotiation window.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump has issued a final 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, threatening to bomb critical infrastructure, including power plants 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