Trump threatens simultaneous strikes on all Iran power plants if no deal in 2-3 weeks

During his prime-time address at approximately 9:23 PM ET, President Trump issued the most escalatory threat of the address: 'If there is no deal with Iran, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard, and probably simultaneously.' He placed this threat within a 2-3 week window: 'Over the next two to three weeks, we're going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.' Trump also told the nation: 'We're going to hit them extremely hard' and said the US is 'nearing completion' on strategic objectives. He blamed Iran for rising oil prices, calling the increases 'short term' and attributing them to 'deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers.' The power plant threat is strategically significant: - Iran operates roughly 90+ power plants of varying scale across the country - Simultaneous strikes on Iran's power grid would cause nationwide blackouts affecting all civilians, hospitals, and critical infrastructure - International legal experts have noted such strikes could constitute a violation of the Geneva Conventions' protections for civilian infrastructure (Protocol I, Art. 54) - The Trump administration has not previously publicly designated civilian power infrastructure as a primary target category Iran denied that any negotiations or ceasefire talks are underway, calling Trump's ceasefire claim 'false and baseless.' Iran's president's office said Iran is 'determined to fight on.' Sources: CNBC live blog, NBC News live blog (04/02/2026).