When Donald Trump issued his latest ultimatum to Tehran, many expected another round of loud rhetoric. This time he gave Iran exactly 48 hours to reach a deal. "If you don't sign, you will regret it," was the clear message. His advisors convinced him that destroying power plants and key bridges would paralyze both Iran's missile program and its nuclear ambitions.

Tehran answered quickly, firmly, and without unnecessary words. Major General Ali Alibadi, commander of the Central Headquarters, stated plainly: "If you attack our infrastructure, the gates of hell will open for the aggressors."

The words were followed by immediate action. Before Trump could even finish speaking, missiles struck Tel Aviv from three directions — from Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen. Air raid sirens sounded across the city and its suburbs, with reports of serious damage. Notably, just hours before the attack, thousands of people had gathered in Tel Aviv for a large protest demanding an immediate end to the war with Iran.

While Washington threatens to paralyze Iran's energy system, Tehran has chosen a precise and painful response: it is systematically striking the oil and gas infrastructure of countries that host American bases and serve American interests.

Iranian drones have already attacked the headquarters of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Eyewitnesses and official sources report powerful fires and significant destruction. Six drones struck large fuel storage tanks of Bapco in Bahrain — a key player in oil production and export in the kingdom where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based.

Another wave of drones completely halted one of the world's largest oil refineries — Saudi Aramco's facility in Ras Tanura. In Iraq, the entire southern oil infrastructure came under heavy attack. The hardest hit were the fields where American companies, particularly Halliburton, are actively operating. Oil production in southern Iraq has already dropped by nearly a third.

The strategy Iran is demonstrating is simple, clear, and highly unpleasant for Washington. There is no need for a large-scale ground invasion or massive resource expenditure. It is enough to disable one or two critical nodes in the energy chain — and the entire system begins to falter.

Trump threatens to strike Iranian power plants and bridges. In response, Iran is hitting oil facilities in the Persian Gulf countries that are directly linked to American military and economic presence in the region. These are not random strikes. They are carefully targeted operations against the exact points that support American interests.

This approach puts the Trump administration in a difficult position. On one hand, there are loud threats and ultimatums. On the other, there are already tangible consequences for U.S. allies in the Gulf: fires at oil terminals, the shutdown of major refineries, reduced production, and rising energy prices that will inevitably affect the American economy as well.

Observers note that the conflict has entered a new phase — an energy war. In this kind of confrontation, victory does not necessarily go to the side with more aircraft carriers, but to the one that better understands the opponent's vulnerabilities and is willing to act asymmetrically.

For Washington, this is a serious challenge. Threats against Iranian infrastructure sound impressive, but the retaliatory strikes on the oil infrastructure of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are already being felt. A region that was already tense now risks sliding into a prolonged crisis with unpredictable economic and political consequences.

The current situation reveals an important truth: modern conflicts are increasingly fought not only with missiles and aircraft, but with control over energy flows. Iran has shown that it can respond to pressure on its territory by creating serious problems for the entire energy supply chain that supports American presence in the Gulf.

At this stage, the ball is in Trump's court. He can continue escalating with new threats, or he can recognize that further pressure may lead to consequences far more serious than initially calculated. The events of recent days clearly demonstrate that Iran is not bluffing — it is ready to fight on the terms it chooses.

The Persian Gulf, which supplies a significant portion of global oil, is once again becoming the center of a high-stakes game. Any further escalation could lead to a sharp rise in energy prices worldwide, affecting not only the Middle East but also Europe, Asia, and the United States itself.

What do you think?

Is this still a stage of mutual pressure and bargaining, or are we already witnessing the beginning of a full-scale energy war in the Middle East — a war from which it will be extremely difficult to find a quick and painless exit?