{"id":60601,"date":"2026-04-06T14:38:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-issues-24-hour-ultimatum-to-iran-infrastructure-strikes-loom-as-oil-markets-brace-for-escalation\/60601\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T14:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:38:25","slug":"trump-issues-24-hour-ultimatum-to-iran-infrastructure-strikes-loom-as-oil-markets-brace-for-escalation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-issues-24-hour-ultimatum-to-iran-infrastructure-strikes-loom-as-oil-markets-brace-for-escalation\/60601\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Issues 24-Hour Ultimatum to Iran: Infrastructure Strikes Loom as Oil Markets Brace for Escalation"},"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 set a final deadline of 8 PM ET tomorrow<\/strong> for Iran to reach a deal, threatening the destruction of bridges and power plants if terms are not met.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The administration is considering the seizure of Iranian oil assets<\/strong>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> stating he is a &quot;businessman first&quot; and that &quot;to the victor belong the spoils.&quot;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth confirmed today marks the highest volume of strikes<\/strong> since the operation began, warning that tomorrow\u2019s offensive will be even larger.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a &quot;major priority&quot;<\/strong> for the U.S. to restore global energy flows and stabilize surging crude prices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>President Donald Trump has issued a definitive 24-hour ultimatum to the Iranian regime, warning that the U.S. will target critical civilian infrastructure, including <strong>bridges and power plants<\/strong>, if a deal is not reached by <strong>8 PM ET tomorrow night<\/strong>. The President characterized Iran as being at its &quot;weakest point ever&quot; but cautioned that its leadership remains &quot;very skilled deceivers&quot; who have misled U.S. administrations for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Energy markets are reacting sharply to Trump\u2019s suggestion that the U.S. may seize Iranian oil fields to compensate for the costs of the conflict. &quot;I am a businessman first; to the victor belong the spoils,&quot; Trump remarked when asked about the potential for long-term control over Iran&#39;s natural resources. This stance has heightened volatility for the United States Oil Fund (<a href=\"\/stock\/USO\">USO<\/a>) and major energy producers like Exxon Mobil (<a href=\"\/stock\/XOM\">XOM<\/a>) and Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>On the military front, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that today\u2019s air campaign represents the <strong>highest volume of strikes<\/strong> since the start of the Iran operation. Hegseth warned Tehran to &quot;choose wisely,&quot; noting that Trump &quot;doesn&#39;t bluff&quot; and citing the fates of previous adversaries. Defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin (<a href=\"\/stock\/LMT\">LMT<\/a>) and RTX Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/RTX\">RTX<\/a>) remain in focus as the administration signals an even more intense wave of strikes for Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes, primarily through <strong>Qatari mediation<\/strong>. The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that diplomacy is the &quot;sole path&quot; to resolving the crisis, though they expressed opposition to the ongoing targeting of regional nations. While Trump noted that negotiations are &quot;progressing well&quot; and that Iran appears to be an &quot;active and willing participant,&quot; he maintained that he cannot yet discuss a ceasefire.<\/p>\n<p>The administration is also looking toward regional allies and proxy forces to stabilize energy output. Trump indicated he expects <strong>Kurdish forces<\/strong> to resume oil exports soon, though he has instructed them to &quot;keep their distance&quot; from active strike zones. The President also confirmed he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday to coordinate the next phase of the &quot;Iran rescue operation.&quot;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump has set a final deadline of 8 PM ET tomorrow for Iran to reach a deal, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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